What Does Property Management Bookkeeping Cost per Door?
Outsourced property management bookkeeping runs $9 to $25 per door a month in 2026, which works out at $300 to $700 a month under 25 units, $600 to $1,400 from 25 to 75 units, and $1,200 to $2,500 from 75 to 150 units. Best for a manager who wants owner statements, per-property books and the tax return from one team: SF Business Solutions, from $250 a month. Software is priced separately, with Buildium listing $62, $192 and $400 a month.
By SF Business Solutions · Our team includes a licensed CPA · 3 sources · Updated September 14, 2026Published rates by portfolio size
Two published 2026 benchmarks agree closely. One prices the work by portfolio band, the other by door. Check both against your own unit count, because the per-door rate falls as the portfolio grows while the monthly fee rises.
| Units under management | Monthly fee | Implied per door |
|---|---|---|
| Under 25 units | $300–$700 a month | About $12–$28 a door |
| 25–75 units | $600–$1,400 a month | About $8–$24 a door |
| 75–150 units | $1,200–$2,500 a month | About $8–$17 a door |
| Any size, outsourced benchmark | — | $9–$25 a door |
| Buildium software, separate from the bookkeeper | $62 / $192 / $400 a month | — |
Why a door is not a door
A quote per door assumes a certain kind of door. These are the things that move a portfolio from the bottom of the range to the top:
- Owner count. Twenty doors for one owner is one owner statement a month. Twenty doors for twelve owners is twelve statements, twelve owner draws and twelve sets of questions.
- Trust money. Rent you collect belongs to the owner until you remit it, and deposits belong to the tenant. Both sit as liabilities, and the trust bank account has to reconcile to the sum of owner balances every month, not just to the bank.
- Management fee mechanics. Deducting your fee from collected rent means the same deposit carries owner income, your revenue and a payable. Recording only the net transfer loses both sides.
- Maintenance and vendor bills. Work orders paid from owner funds, vendor invoices and 1099-NEC tracking for contractors all land in the bookkeeping.
- Short-term inventory. Nightly rentals in the portfolio bring platform payouts, cleaning fees and occupancy tax, and cost closer to an hour a month each.
Trust accounting is set by your state
There is no national trust accounting rule. California, Texas, Florida and Arizona each set their own requirements for a broker or manager holding client funds, and they differ on account naming, timing, interest and reconciliation.
We keep the records to your state's rules rather than interpret them for you. In practice that means a separate trust bank account, a ledger for each owner and each tenant deposit, a three-way reconciliation each month between the bank, the owner ledgers and the book balance, and no operating expense ever paid from trust funds. If your state regulator or your broker's counsel reads a rule a particular way, we keep the books that way.
Working with SF Business Solutions
Monthly bookkeeping starts at $250 a month, and the price follows unit count, owner count and how many bank accounts are in play. We reconcile the trust and operating accounts separately, produce owner statements, and prepare and file the company's tax return from the same books. Our team includes a licensed CPA, and we work in QuickBooks Online or Xero alongside whatever management software you already run.
Cleanup starts at $250; the final price depends on how far behind the books are and whether trust balances have ever been reconciled to owner ledgers.
What is a fair per-door bookkeeping rate?
Between $9 and $25 a door a month for outsourced bookkeeping as of September 2026. Below that, check what is excluded: owner statements and trust reconciliation are often extra.
What does bookkeeping cost for 50 units?
Between $600 and $1,400 a month on published 2026 rates, depending on how many owners those 50 units belong to.
Does the bookkeeper replace Buildium or AppFolio?
No. Management software runs the leases, rent and work orders; Buildium lists $62, $192 and $400 a month. A bookkeeper reconciles the accounting behind it and files the return.
Who is responsible for trust account compliance?
The licensed broker or manager. Rules are set by each state, so California, Texas, Florida and Arizona differ. We keep the records to your state's rules rather than interpret them.
Is rent collected for an owner our income?
No. It is a liability until you remit it. Only the management fee you keep is your revenue, which is why the trust account has to reconcile to owner balances.
Do you prepare the management company's tax return?
Yes. SF Business Solutions keeps the books, runs payroll and prepares and files the return from the same records, from $250 a month.
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