TurboTenant says Denver landlords can save about $3,000 a year with flat fees

TurboTenant is highlighting 2026 cost comparisons that it says show Denver landlords pay far more under percentage-based property management than under its flat-fee model. The company frames the difference as a meaningful operating-cost shift for owners weighing whether to outsource management.

Why it matters: - Denver landlords facing higher rents and higher management fees may see a material gap between percentage-based property management and a flat annual price. - TurboTenant is positioning its model as a lower-cost alternative for owners looking to reduce operating expenses on single rental units.

What happened: - TurboTenant released worked examples comparing traditional Denver property management fees with its flat-fee Pro plan in 2026. - Traditional Denver property managers typically charge 8% to 10% of monthly rent, plus tenant placement fees and maintenance markups. - Denver's average monthly rent is $1,889 in 2026. - TurboTenant says its Pro plan costs $199 per year and does not charge tenant placement fees.

The details: - Under a 10% monthly management fee, a landlord paying rent based on Denver's average would pay $188.90 per month. - That works out to $2,266.80 a year in management fees alone. - Adding a tenant placement fee equal to 50% of one month's rent adds $944.50. - That brings the estimated annual base cost to $3,211.30 under a conventional fee structure. - TurboTenant's flat-fee model brings the annual base cost to $199 for the Pro plan. - The comparison leaves a difference of about $3,000 a year for one rental unit. - TurboTenant also says traditional managers often add 10% to 20% on repair bills through maintenance markups. - The company says its model does not add maintenance markups. - TurboTenant says it now manages more than 4,000 units, has coordinated 180,000 on-demand showings and has placed more than 10,000 tenants.

Between the lines: - The comparison is not just about pricing. It is a pitch that landlords should reconsider whether bundled administrative services are worth a percentage of rent in a high-cost market. - The flat-fee model becomes more attractive when rents rise, because percentage-based fees rise with them while a fixed price does not.

What's next: - TurboTenant is likely to keep using market-by-market examples to argue that flat fees can outperform conventional property management economics. - Denver landlords comparing providers will likely weigh total annual cost, placement charges and repair markups more closely.

The bottom line: - TurboTenant's message is simple: in Denver, percentage-based property management can cost landlords thousands more per year than a flat-fee alternative.