Owner Guide · Maintenance Fees · Palm Beach County, FL
Quick Answer
Property managers can charge for maintenance in several ways: the repair cost itself, a markup or coordination charge on vendor invoices, project fees on larger jobs, inspection fees, and make-ready coordination. A reserve and an approval limit are not fees, but they control how your money moves. Ask for every charge in writing and for original vendor invoices. Atlis does not mark up maintenance; repairs are billed at cost with the vendor's invoice, and management is 5–9% of collected rent.
By Jean Taveras, Broker-Owner, Atlis Property Management · Updated October 2026
Maintenance is where management costs are easiest to hide. The management fee is printed on the first page of the agreement. Maintenance charges show up later, one invoice at a time, often buried in a monthly statement next to the repair they were added to. Two managers with the same percentage can cost an owner very different amounts over a year because of how they bill maintenance.
This guide explains the charges a property manager can attach to maintenance, which ones are fees and which are simply your money moving, how markups work, and the questions that get you a clear answer before you sign. For the management fee itself, see our 2026 fee breakdown for Palm Beach County.
The 7 Maintenance Charges a Property Manager Can Bill
Not every line on a maintenance statement is a fee. The table separates the cost of the work from what the manager charges for arranging it, and from items that are not fees at all.
| Charge | What it is | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Repair cost | What the vendor charges for the work | Do I get the original vendor invoice? |
| 2. Markup | An amount added on top of the vendor bill | Do you add anything to vendor invoices? |
| 3. Work-order or coordination charge | A flat charge per maintenance request | Is there a charge just for opening a request? |
| 4. Project fee | A fee for managing larger repairs or renovations | At what dollar amount does it start, and how is it figured? |
| 5. Inspection fee | A charge for periodic or move-out inspections | How often, what is covered, and do I get the photos? |
| 6. Make-ready coordination | Managing turnover work between tenants | Is it included or billed separately? |
| 7. After-hours or trip charges | Vendor charges for emergency or out-of-hours calls | Who decides when an after-hours call is justified? |
Items 1 and 7 are vendor costs you would pay whether or not you had a manager. Items 2 through 6 are what the manager charges, and those are the ones to compare. A manager that is clear about every one of them, in writing, is usually clear about everything else.
Markups: How They Work and How to Spot Them
A maintenance markup is any amount added between what the vendor charges and what the owner pays. The industry uses several forms. Some managers add a stated percentage to every vendor invoice. Some add a flat service or coordination charge to every work order. Others receive a payment from the vendor, so the invoice the owner sees already includes the manager's share. Each of these is legal when it is disclosed, and each changes your true cost of ownership.
Markups are not always wrong. A manager is doing real work when it dispatches a vendor, checks the job, and pays the bill. What matters is that you know about the markup, it is in the agreement, and you can see the vendor's own invoice. Three questions settle it:
- Do you add any amount to vendor invoices, under any name?
- Do you receive any payment, rebate, or referral fee from vendors you use on my property?
- Will my statement include the original vendor invoice for every job?
If the answers are no, no, and yes, there is no markup. If the manager hesitates, ask for the answers in writing before you sign. Our guide to the hidden costs of routine repairs compares how owners pay for small jobs with and without a manager.
Project and Renovation Coordination Fees
A service call and a renovation are different kinds of work. Replacing an air conditioning system, repairing a roof, or refreshing a home between tenants means scoping the job, collecting bids, scheduling access, checking the work at stages, and confirming completion before the final payment. Many managers charge a separate project fee for that coordination, usually above a dollar threshold.
A project fee is reasonable when it is disclosed, starts at a clear threshold, and comes with real oversight. Ask which jobs it applies to, how it is calculated, and what you receive for it: bids, photos, a written scope, and a final invoice. Atlis publishes its terms: routine repairs are billed at cost, and larger renovations and capital projects are coordinated for a project-coordination fee listed on our pricing page. Our project coordination page describes what that work includes.
Timing matters for larger jobs as well. Work done between tenants keeps the home off the market, and every day costs rent. On a home at Jupiter's fall 2026 median asking rent of $4,800 a month, as reported by PBP Real Estate on October 7, 2026, one day of rent is $4,800 × 12 ÷ 365 ≈ $158. Our make-ready versus rent-ready guide covers how to scope turnover work so the home is listed on schedule.
Approval Limits, Reserves, and Emergencies
Two parts of every management agreement are not fees but decide how your maintenance money moves. The first is the approval limit: the amount per repair a manager can spend without calling you. Routine work below it gets done; anything above it waits for your approval. The second is the reserve: a balance of your own money the manager holds so it can pay bills without delay. A reserve is applied to your property's expenses and should appear on your statement.
Emergencies sit outside both. An active water leak, no air conditioning in dangerous heat, a sewage backup, or a gas smell should be handled immediately, with notice to you as soon as possible. Ask any manager how it defines an emergency, who decides, and how fast a vendor is dispatched. Our guide to handling emergency repairs covers the owner's side of that plan.
Who Pays for What: Owner, Tenant, and Association
Before comparing fees, be clear about which repairs are yours. Florida Statute §83.51 requires the landlord to comply with applicable building, housing, and health codes, and, where none apply, to keep structural components in good repair and plumbing in reasonable working condition. For single-family homes and duplexes, those obligations can be changed in writing, and the statute requires working smoke detectors at the start of the tenancy unless otherwise agreed in writing. Under §83.52, the tenant must keep the unit clean and sanitary and must not damage it.
In practice, the owner pays for wear and system failures, and the tenant pays for damage the tenant causes. The lease should say who handles items such as air filters, light bulbs, lawn care, and pool service, because those are where disputes start. In a condominium, the association typically maintains the common elements while the owner handles the unit; your declaration and the association's rules decide the line. Our Florida maintenance budgeting guide helps owners plan for the costs that are theirs.
How to Compare Maintenance Costs Between Managers
Ask each manager the same questions and compare the answers side by side. Use your own home, because maintenance depends on age, systems, and whether it sits in an association community.
- The charges. Which of the seven charges above apply, and at what amount?
- The invoices. Will every statement include the original vendor invoice?
- The vendors. Are vendors licensed and insured, with certificates on file? Our article on the risk of an unlicensed contractor in Florida explains why it matters.
- The triage. How are requests screened before a vendor is sent?
- The preventive work. Is there a schedule for air conditioning service, filters, and water heater checks?
- The approval limit. What is it, and can you set it?
The stakes are real. As of October 7, 2026, PBP Real Estate reported that Jupiter houses closed from January 1 through September 30 at a median $1,069,000, and condos and townhouses at $500,000. Maintenance is what keeps an asset of that size rentable and insurable, so the goal is not the cheapest repair but the right repair, billed transparently.
Common Mistakes Owners Make With Maintenance Fees
- Comparing only the management percentage. Maintenance markups and per-request charges can matter more over a year than a point of management fee.
- Not asking for original invoices. Without the vendor's own bill, you cannot tell what the work cost and what was added.
- Setting the approval limit by accident. Choose it deliberately, based on how quickly you respond and how much visibility you want.
- Treating the reserve as a fee. It is your money; make sure it is accounted for, and ask what happens to it if you leave.
- Leaving lease responsibilities vague. Filters, lawns, pools, and pest control cause disputes when the lease does not say who handles them.
- Hiring vendors without insurance or a written scope. The cheapest bid is expensive when something goes wrong and nobody is covered.
How Atlis Handles Maintenance Billing
Atlis is a licensed Florida brokerage, broker-owner led from our office on PGA Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens and serving owners across Palm Beach County. Our maintenance billing is simple: owners pay what the vendor charges and receive the original vendor invoice for every job, with no markup. Our 24/7 AI-assisted triage resolves common tenant requests remotely where it can, so a vendor is dispatched for real problems. Both commitments are in our eight written guarantees, and our guide to how Atlis handles maintenance explains the triage process.
Management is full service only, at 5 to 9 percent of collected rent with a $200 monthly minimum, no management fees on vacant units, and a fee percentage locked for the life of the partnership.
From Our Files
Before any vendor works on a home we manage, the vendor signs our vendor addendum. It requires three things: a current certificate of insurance on file, a written scope of work before the job starts, and a spending threshold above which the owner approves the work first. Those three requirements answer most of the questions in this guide before an invoice exists: who is covered, what the job is, and when the owner decides.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do property managers mark up maintenance invoices?
Some do and some do not, and the practice is not always obvious. A markup can appear as a percentage added to each vendor bill, a coordination or service charge on every work order, or a vendor price that already includes an amount paid back to the manager. The way to find out is to ask directly, get the answer in the management agreement, and ask for original vendor invoices with your statements. Atlis does not mark up maintenance; owners receive the original vendor invoice for every job.
What is a maintenance approval limit?
It is the dollar amount, per repair, that a manager can spend without contacting you first. Routine work under the limit is approved and paid so small problems do not wait; anything above it needs your approval. Genuine emergencies, such as an active leak or a sewage backup, are usually handled immediately with notice to the owner. The limit is set in your management agreement, and it is worth choosing deliberately: too low and every repair waits on a phone call, too high and you lose visibility.
Is a maintenance reserve a fee?
No. A reserve is your own money, held by the manager so routine repairs and bills can be paid without delay. It is applied to your property's expenses and should appear on your statement like any other balance. Ask how much the reserve is, when it is replenished from rent, and what happens to it when the agreement ends. A reserve that is described as a fee, or that cannot be accounted for on your statements, is a reason to ask more questions.
Who pays for repairs in a Florida rental, the owner or the tenant?
Generally, the owner pays for repairs to the home and its systems, and the tenant pays for damage caused by the tenant or the tenant's guests. Florida Statute §83.51 sets the landlord's duty to comply with building, housing, and health codes, and §83.52 sets the tenant's duty to keep the unit clean and not damage it. For single-family homes and duplexes, some landlord duties can be changed in writing, which is why the lease should spell out responsibilities clearly.
What do project or renovation coordination fees cover?
Larger jobs, such as a roof repair, an air conditioning replacement, or a make-ready renovation between tenants, take more work than a service call: scoping, bids, scheduling access, checking progress, and confirming completion. Many managers charge a separate coordination fee for that work. Ask at what dollar amount the fee starts, how it is calculated, and which jobs are excluded. At Atlis, routine repairs are billed at cost, and larger renovation or capital projects carry a project-coordination fee published on our pricing page.
How does Atlis bill maintenance?
Repairs are billed at cost: owners pay what the vendor charges and receive the original vendor invoice for every job, with no markup. Our 24/7 AI-assisted triage resolves common tenant requests remotely where it can, so a vendor is not sent for a problem a reset would fix. Larger projects are coordinated for a project-coordination fee published on our pricing page. Management itself is full service at 5 to 9 percent of collected rent with a $200 monthly minimum, and there are no management fees on vacant units.
Maintenance billing should never be a surprise. If you want to see how your current statements compare, or what maintenance would look like under full-service management, we are glad to walk through it with you.
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About the Author
Jean Taveras is the Broker-Owner of Atlis Property Management (FL Brokerage CQ1071712), a boutique, broker-led residential management firm headquartered on PGA Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens. Atlis manages single-family homes, townhomes, condos, and small multifamily across Palm Beach County and backs every account with eight written guarantees. Questions about a specific property: 561.473.3664 or info@atlispm.com.
