View Listings

    Owner services · Fees

    Commercial property management fees in Vancouver: what owners actually pay

    In Metro Vancouver, commercial property management fees typically run 3–8% of gross collected rent and leasing commissions 4–6% of total lease value or about one month's rent per year of term (published rate cards from Metro Vancouver managers, 2025–26). Under a net lease the tenant usually pays the management fee as additional rent. David quotes a flat structure per property.

    Request a flat quote How we lease space

    Fee estimator

    Market ranges, not a quote

    Monthly management fee

    3%

    $600

    $630 w/ GST

    5%

    $1,000

    $1,050 w/ GST

    8%

    $1,600

    $1,680 w/ GST

    Highlighted 4–6%: A few tenants adds CAM reconciliation, shared systems and more turnover. Mid-band is typical.

    One-time leasing fee, two ways it is quoted

    5% of $1,200,000 lease value

    $60,000

    $63,000 w/ GST

    1 month's rent × 5 yr

    $100,000

    $105,000 w/ GST

    Ranges: published rate cards from Metro Vancouver managers, 2025–26; leasing 4–6% or one month per year of term. GST 5%. Under a net lease the management fee is commonly recoverable from the tenant. David quotes a flat structure per property.

    01

    What are the market ranges, in one place?

    3–8%

    management, of gross collected rent

    Published rate cards, 2025–26

    4–6%

    leasing, of total lease value

    or ~1 month's rent per year of term

    ~50%

    renewal fee vs new-lease fee

    common market practice

    2 months

    David's leasing fee

    first and last months' rent on the lease

    The percentage only means something next to the scope. Two managers quoting 5% can be a thousand dollars a month apart once you add the extras, and a 5% fee that your lease lets you recover from the tenant costs you less than a 3% fee that it does not. The rest of this page is those two questions: what is in the fee, and who ends up paying it. To see what a fee does to your net effective rent after free rent and allowances, run the net effective rent calculator.

    02

    What is included in the fee, and what is extra?

    ServiceUsually in the base feeUsually extra
    Rent collection, arrears, owner statementsYes—
    Operating budget and year-end CAM / additional-rent reconciliationYesComplex multi-tenant reconciliations sometimes billed hourly
    Routine maintenance coordination, vendor managementYesMark-up on contractor invoices: ask for the percentage in writing
    Lease administration: escalations, options, notices, insurance certificatesYes—
    Leasing vacant space, renewals—4–6% of lease value or ~1 month per year of term; renewals commonly half
    Capital projects (roof, HVAC replacement, parking lot)—Project management fee, often 5–10% of project cost
    After-hours emergenciesResponse is includedCall-out time sometimes billed hourly
    Litigation, distress, lease enforcement—Hourly plus disbursements; your lawyer's fees separate
    Property tax appeals, insurance claims—Hourly or contingency

    Market pattern for Metro Vancouver small and mid-sized commercial buildings. Every agreement is different; read the schedule of fees, not the summary.

    03

    Who actually pays the management fee under a net lease?

    This is the part most fee comparisons miss. Under a net lease (often called NNN or triple-net), the tenant pays base rent plus additional rent: its share of property tax, building insurance and operating costs. Most Metro Vancouver net leases define operating costs to include a management or administration fee, usually expressed as a percentage of operating costs or a percentage of gross rent, with a cap written into the lease.

    When the lease says that, the management fee is a recoverable cost: it is billed to the tenant inside additional rent and the owner's net cost is reduced, sometimes to zero. So the honest question is not "what does management cost me" but "what does my lease let me recover, and is the manager's fee inside that cap." Lease structures are explained in commercial lease types in BC. Recoverability depends on your lease wording; have your lawyer confirm.

    Three things to check in your lease

    1. Whether "operating costs" or "additional rent" expressly includes a management or administration fee, and how it is calculated.
    2. Whether there is a cap (commonly a percentage) and whether leasing commissions and capital items are excluded, as they usually are.
    3. Whether the lease is gross, semi-gross or net. On a gross lease the fee is yours; the rent is supposed to have priced it in.

    Key takeaway

    $0

    net management cost, when the lease recovers it in full

    A 5% fee that your net lease includes in recoverable operating costs is billed to the tenant as additional rent. A 3% fee under a gross lease comes out of your rent. Compare what you keep, not the headline percentage.
    Gross vs net leases in BC

    04

    How do fees differ for single-tenant and multi-tenant buildings?

    Managers price work, and work scales with tenants and common systems more than with rent. That is why the band is 3–8% and not a single number. The dollar amount per tenant is usually what a manager is actually pricing.

    3–4%, or flat monthly

    Single-tenant industrial, net lease

    • One tenant, one invoice
    • Tenant handles most operating items directly
    • Management is lease administration and inspections

    Least management-intensive asset in the region

    4–6%

    2–4 tenants, small mixed-use or strip

    • CAM budgeting and reconciliation across tenants
    • Shared roof, parking and systems
    • More turnover, more leasing events

    Where most privately owned Metro Vancouver buildings sit

    5–8%

    5+ tenants, multi-tenant office or retail

    • Common areas, HVAC scheduling, janitorial
    • After-hours calls and regular turnover
    • Vendor coordination is the daily job

    Usually recoverable from tenants under net leases

    Asset-specific detail is on the retail, industrial and office building management pages.

    05

    How long does it take to change managers or start management?

    Onboarding a building into management takes two to four weeks. Leaving a manager depends on the termination clause; 30–60 days' notice is common and reasonable, and you should not sign anything longer without a for-cause exit. If the building has vacancy, leasing runs in parallel: 90–180 days is typical for well-priced small-bay industrial, office and retail in Metro Vancouver, per brokerage market reports and our portfolio. See commercial leasing services.

    1. 01Give notice to the current manager

      day 0

      Per the termination clause, in writing. Ask for the tenant files, lease abstracts, CAM history and vendor contracts at the same time.

    2. 02Tenant notice and account transfer

      week 1–2

      Tenants get the new payment address and contact. The operating account moves to one you own or a trust account you can see.

    3. 03Budget and additional-rent estimate

      week 2–4

      Operating budget rebuilt from actual invoices; monthly additional-rent estimates re-issued so the year-end reconciliation is clean.

    4. 04Inspection and capital list

      week 4

      Walk of the building with photos; a prioritised list of deferred items with approval thresholds set in the agreement.

    06

    What are the red flags in a management agreement?

    Fee on scheduled rent, not collected rentYou pay the manager on space that is empty or in arrears. Insist on collected.
    Undisclosed contractor mark-upsA 5% fee plus 15% on every invoice is not a 5% fee. Ask for the mark-up in writing and a cap.
    Leasing exclusive that survives termination indefinitelyA short tail (commonly 60–90 days on prospects introduced in writing) is fair; forever is not.
    Operating account in the manager's nameYour money should sit in an account you own or a trust account with monthly reconciliation you can see.
    No approval threshold for repairsA dollar limit above which the manager needs your sign-off is standard.
    Auto-renewal with a long notice windowTwelve-month terms that renew unless you give 90 days' notice trap owners. Ask for 30–60 days after an initial term.
    No insurance or GST languageThe manager should carry errors and omissions insurance and be GST-registered, remitting on fees and on rent collected for you.

    Real estate services in BC are regulated by the BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA); check its current guidance on which activities require a licence and ask any manager how they are structured. David Siccia is a property manager and leasing specialist. Sale advisory is executed by Lawrence Siccia (Engel & Völkers).

    07

    What is different about fees in Vancouver specifically?

    Three local factors move the number. First, property tax: City of Vancouver Class 6 (business) property tax was roughly 1.05% of assessed value in 2025 at the general rate (check the current mill rate), and in a net lease that tax is the biggest single line the manager estimates, bills and reconciles. Getting it wrong is the most common source of tenant disputes. Second, Vancouver's Energize Vancouver reporting and greenhouse-gas limits under the Vancouver Building By-law add an annual compliance task for larger buildings that some managers price separately. Third, lease terms here are commonly 3–5 years with 5-year renewal options, so the leasing fee recurs more often than owners expect; price the renewal fee, not just the first lease.

    If you are deciding whether to keep the building at all, the sell-versus-lease numbers are worked through at sell or lease your commercial property, and current examples of what we manage are in the commercial portfolio.

    08

    Questions owners ask about commercial management and leasing fees

    Get a flat quote for your building

    Send the address, the rent roll and the current management agreement if you have one. You get a per-property quote and a plain read on what your lease lets you recover.

    Request a fee quote 236-998-5841

    David Siccia Properties handles leasing and management. Property sales are executed by Lawrence Siccia, REALTOR®, Engel & Völkers Vancouver.

    General information, not legal or tax advice

    Fee ranges on this page are published market figures, not a quote. Commercial tenancies in BC are governed by the Commercial Tenancy Act (RSBC 1996, c. 57). GST is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA); property tax rates are set by each municipality. Confirm recoverability under your lease with your lawyer and tax treatment with your accountant.

    Related

    Services

    Tools

    Where we work