Long Beach is a landlord’s market with an unusually broad price floor: management here starts lower than almost anywhere else on the California coast, because several firms are built around apartment buildings rather than single houses and price accordingly. Published full-service management runs 4.5% to 10% of collected rent, tenant placement runs from nothing at all to 50% of a month, and only one of the eight firms on our list publishes no management figure whatsoever.
What Long Beach Managers Charge in 2026
In this section we will give you the published numbers themselves, drawn from our guide to the best property management companies in Long Beach, so you can see what to expect before you make a single call. A Google search will speed up the shortlist by pulling up every local firm faster than a phone round can. However, those results cannot show you everything about a company’s pricing, and many rate cards are not as complete as advertised. Where a company does not publish a number, it is marked as such.
| Company | Management fee | Tenant placement | Lease renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utopia Management | 8%-10% of monthly rent | Waived on properties under full management | Not published |
| Beach Front Property Management | Tiered on gross collected income: up to 15 units 4.5%-7%; 16-30 units 4%-6%; 31+ units 4%-5%; multiple buildings by negotiation | Not published | Not published |
| Ernst & Haas Management | 6.9% of collected income, depending on size and type of property | Not published | Not published |
| Berro Property Management | 5%-10% of gross income collected, by location, condition and number of units | Not published | Not published |
| AllView Real Estate | 6.9% or 8.9% of rents collected, by plan | None charged | None charged |
| Mike Dunfee Group | 4.9%–7.9% of rent collected (company schedule) | 25%–50% of one month’s rent, only when a vacancy is filled (company schedule) | Not published |
The Monthly Management Fee
The monthly fee matters because it pays for the parts of the job you would otherwise be doing yourself: showing the property, screening tenants, enforcing the lease, collecting rents, taking maintenance calls and producing your monthly statements. Beach Front Property Management publishes the clearest tiered card in the market and it is priced on scale: 4.5% to 7% of gross collected income for buildings up to fifteen units, 4% to 6% for sixteen to thirty, and 4% to 5% for thirty-one or more, with multiple buildings by negotiation. If you own one house, that bottom tier is not available to you; if you own a building, it is the sharpest published number here.
Ernst & Haas publishes 6.9% of collected income depending on the size and type of property. Mike Dunfee publishes 4.9% to 7.9% of rent collected. RPM Southland publishes 5.99%, 6.99% and 8.99% plans for homes and condos. AllView publishes two plans at 6.9% or 8.9% of rents collected. Berro publishes a band rather than a card — 5% to 10% of gross income collected, varying by location, condition and number of units. Utopia charges 8% to 10% of monthly rent and charges nothing while the property sits vacant. Ask each firm whether its percentage runs on rent collected or rent scheduled, because on a vacancy that is the whole difference, and ask what moves you within a band as wide as Berro’s.
The Tenant Placement (Leasing) Fee
This line item is still quiet in Long Beach, but not silent. Neither Beach Front, Ernst & Haas nor Berro publishes a placement figure — Ernst & Haas describes leasing as covered by the management fee, which is a genuine commitment even without a number attached. Mike Dunfee publishes 25% to 50% of a month when a vacancy is filled. RPM Southland lists $899 on Basic, $399 on Premium and no charge on All-Inclusive. AllView charges nothing for placement and nothing for renewals, stated plainly on its own site. Utopia waives placement entirely on properties under full management.
Filling a vacancy requires care and effort, but time is money. Get the plan-specific figure in writing, especially when the same company uses a different placement structure at each service level.
Renewal, Setup, and Maintenance Fees
AllView charges nothing for renewals. RPM Southland lists $199 on Basic and Premium, and no charge on All-Inclusive. Mike Dunfee publishes no renewal figure. The remaining questions still need putting in writing before you sign. They fit in one email:
- Lease renewal: what it costs, and whether it is charged at all.
- Setup or onboarding: RPM Southland and Mike Dunfee both state that they charge no startup fee; ask the other firms whether a fee applies.
- Maintenance coordination: whether repair invoices carry a markup, and whether vendor discounts are passed through to you.
- Monthly minimums: a tiered percentage with a floor under it behaves like a flat fee on a low-rent unit.
What the Apartment Stock Does to Your Quote
Long Beach has a far higher share of small apartment buildings than most cities in this series, and the management market has organized itself around them. Beach Front reports roughly a thousand units under management and Berro roughly 2,300, and both price on unit count. That has a practical consequence for a single-home owner: the headline 4% and 4.5% figures you will see quoted around this city are volume rates, and quoting them back to a firm on a one-house engagement will not get you there. Conversely, if you own a fourplex or larger, Long Beach is one of the few markets in California where the published tiers genuinely reward you for it. Establish which side of that line you are on before you start comparing, because the same firm can be the cheapest or the most expensive option depending on the answer.
Flat Fee or Percentage?
Of course, the rent itself, specifically its level, dictates which structure wins. Nobody in Long Beach publishes a pure flat monthly fee, so the practical choice here is between tiered percentages and flat bands. A percentage plan tracks your rent upward, and on a covered unit that rent can rise no more than 8.7% in any twelve-month period under the state Tenant Protection Act as applied in Los Angeles County for increases taking effect through July 2027. Expect a wide band on the quote itself: Berro’s 5% to 10% is a five-point spread and the site publishing it does not say what moves an owner within it, so get your specific number in writing.
Keeping the Cost Down
Collect written proposals: even in a market where most firms now publish a headline rate, an apples-to-apples comparison is only possible on paper. Get every quote in writing against the same property and the same expected rent before making any decisions. Ask specifically whether leasing and renewals are included in the management fee, as Ernst & Haas and AllView say theirs are — on a property that turns over every two years, that inclusion is worth more than half a point on the monthly rate. All fee agreements are negotiable, so before diving in, try negotiating the most affordable rate possible from the company that is number one on your list. For what a full-service arrangement includes here, see our Long Beach property management services, or compare providers side by side in the Long Beach rankings.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does property management cost in Long Beach?
About 4.5% to 10% of collected rent in 2026. Beach Front prices on scale from 4% to 7% by unit count; Mike Dunfee publishes 4.9% to 7.9%; RPM Southland 5.99%, 6.99% or 8.99%; Ernst & Haas 6.9%; AllView 6.9% or 8.9%; Berro 5% to 10%; and Utopia 8% to 10%.
Why are Long Beach management rates lower than other coastal cities?
Because several firms here are built around apartment buildings rather than single houses and price on unit count. Beach Front charges 4% to 5% on thirty-one units or more but 4.5% to 7% up to fifteen. Those headline low rates are volume rates and are not available on a single-home engagement.
What is a typical tenant placement fee in Long Beach?
It varies by plan. Mike Dunfee publishes 25% to 50% of one month’s rent. RPM Southland charges $899 on Basic, $399 on Premium and nothing on All-Inclusive. AllView charges nothing for placement or renewals, Ernst & Haas describes leasing as covered by the management fee, and Utopia waives it under full management. Beach Front and Berro do not publish a placement amount.
How much can I raise the rent in Long Beach in 2026?
Up to 8.7% under the state Tenant Protection Act as applied in Los Angeles County, for increases taking effect through July 2027. That is 5% plus the regional change in the cost of living, capped at 10%.
Do Long Beach property managers publish their fees?
Most do. Seven of the eight firms on our list now publish a management rate, although Beach Front’s lowest tiers are volume rates and several firms omit parts of their schedule. Harbor Property Management does not state a number. Get every quote in writing against the same property.
Sources and verification
The fee comparison on this page is Utopia Management’s original review of publicly available company pricing and service information. A company that does not publish a price is marked as such rather than estimated. Rates and terms can change, so request a written quote for your property.
The California rent-rule information is linked below to the issuing government source. Local rules can add protections, so confirm the current rule for the property address before serving a notice or signing an agreement.
