What property management costs a foreign owner in Tulum

A typical market rate for managing a short-stay rental in Tulum is 25 to 30 percent of net revenue. That is Michael Gill's observation of the local market, as CEO of Tulum Land and Property, not a price we charge and not a published or measured average. What matters as much as the percentage is what the fee covers, what it leaves out, and what "net" means in the contract.

If you own a home in Tulum from abroad, you rely on the manager for the guests, the cleaning and the repairs. This page explains the one figure we can offer, where it comes from, and the questions that decide what you actually pay.

The figure, and what it rests on

Tulum managers who run short-stay rentals commonly charge 25 to 30 percent of net revenue, as observed by Michael Gill, CEO of Tulum Land and Property. It is his observation of what owners are quoted. We have not counted it across a set of contracts, and we have not found a published source for it, so treat it as a guide to ask about, not a benchmark to hold a manager to.

The percentage alone does not tell you what you are paying for, which is why the questions below matter more than the number.

The four lines owners get caught by

• Cleaning. Is it inside the fee, or charged to you per stay?
• Guest messaging. Who answers guests, in what hours, and in which languages?
• Repairs. Who approves them, and is there a spending limit before the manager must ask you?
• The listing. Who owns the listing and its reviews, and what happens to them if you change manager?

What "net" means

Net revenue is not a fixed term. Before you sign, ask the manager to write down what is taken off before the percentage is applied, for example platform fees, cleaning, taxes or card fees, and show you one sample statement. Two managers quoting the same percentage can leave you with different amounts.

Costs the percentage does not include

Your building's monthly fee is separate. We quote each building's fee on its listing where we have it. Upkeep for a home you live in or leave empty is a different service from guest management, and we do not have a market figure for it; our maintenance and repairs service quotes it per home.

What this page does not tell you

It does not say what a rental will earn. We make no income claim, so it cannot tell you what the percentage comes to in dollars. Ask each manager for a written proposal and compare what is in it.

This page is general information, not financial or tax advice. Confirm the terms of any management agreement with your own adviser, and the tax treatment of rental income with the notario and an accountant who works with foreign owners.

Sources: Michael Gill's observation of management fees quoted to short-stay owners in the Tulum market, stated October 11, 2026. We have not found a published source for the 25 to 30 percent figure. Top photo: Shixart1985, CC BY 2.0.