Management fees, explained
What vacation rental management costs in San Diego.
Full-service vacation rental managers in San Diego charge 18–35% of booking revenue. Cardo charges a straight 20%, all-in: no setup fees, no monthly minimums, and no charge until your home is earning. This guide covers the market's pricing models, what Cardo's 20% includes, and the fee structures to review before signing with any company.
See what your home would netUpdated September 2026 · rates re-checked against the current San Diego market
The market
What do Airbnb property managers charge?
Nearly every management company in San Diego uses one of these four pricing models. Look at what the fee includes, not just the number.
Full-service management
Marketing, pricing, guest care, turnovers, and compliance.
Watch for: The range is wide because "full service" isn't standardized. Ask exactly what's excluded.
Cardo: full service
All services listed below. No setup fees, no monthly minimums, no charge until your home earns.
See the full comparison →Half-service / co-hosting
Two types: national half-service brands, and independent co-hosts. Both models leave part of the operation with the owner.
Watch for: National brands (like Evolve) stop managing after the guest checks in, so the stay itself is yours. Co-hosts may manage the full reservation, but only on one platform, so the rest of the market never sees your home.
Flat monthly fee
A fixed scope of coordination tasks.
Watch for: The manager gets paid the same whether your home is booked or empty, so there is little reason for them to fill your calendar.
Ranges reflect published San Diego rates and industry fee surveys as of September 2026. "Full service" means something different at every company. Always compare exactly what is included, line by line. Shopping the market? See our honest shortlist of San Diego's best management companies. →
Cardo's 20%
What's included, and what you'll never be billed for.
The 20% covers the full operation. The list below is what that means in practice.
Professional marketing
Pro photography, listing copy, and distribution across Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, and several other high-traffic travel agencies.
Dynamic pricing
Rates tuned daily to San Diego demand. Over 10,000 data points managed by a real human that spots trends and gaps to maximize income.
24/7 guest care
Every message, question, and midnight lockout handled by our team, not you.
Turnovers & inspections
In-house cleaning, inspected after every stay, with a 5-star cleanliness guarantee.
STRO & TOT compliance
City licensing, compliance reporting, and transient occupancy tax filings, handled.
Transparent accounting
Real-time owner dashboard and itemized monthly statements. Every dollar visible.
Never on a Cardo statement: setup fees, onboarding fees, monthly minimums, technology surcharges, or charges while your home isn't earning.
Read the fine print
Six fees to review before signing with any company.
A low advertised rate often costs more once extra fees show up on your statement. These are the six to ask any manager about before you sign.
Onboarding or "setup" fees
Hundreds to thousands of dollars before your first booking. Cardo charges none.
Technology and channel fees
Monthly software charges stacked on top of the management percentage.
Maintenance markups
An extra percentage quietly added to every repair or vendor bill before it reaches you.
Linen and restocking programs
Required supply programs that bill you more than the products cost in a store.
Guest-fee skimming
Booking or "resort" fees charged to your guests that never show up on your statement: money made off your home that you never see.
Vendor lock-in
High cost vendor relationships that benefit only your manager.
The long version, with real statement examples:The real cost of mystery fees → Already stuck in one of these contracts?How to switch managers cleanly →
The real question
Is 20% worth it?
A 20% fee only makes sense if we earn you more than it costs. Here is where that extra income comes from.
- Revenue depends on active management. Daily dynamic pricing, lead follow-up, curated marketing channels, and design all move the number. Cardo-designed homes outperform their market by up to 32%, and outperform solo managers by more than 60%.
- Review history compounds. 3,500+ five-star Airbnb reviews carry placement, trust, and pricing power that a new profile cannot reach.
- Self-management is a significant time commitment. Guest messages from morning to midnight, cleaner oversight, guest complaints, and quarterly filings typically take owners 15-30 hours a month.
- Compliance carries real risk. The city limits how many STRO licenses exist, and a filing mistake can cost you yours. License protection is part of the service.
Fees, answered
Common questions about management fees.
Every stay is covered by $0-deductible damage protection, and every home is inspected after each stay, so issues are identified and resolved promptly.
Guests do, through the cleaning fee on each booking. That is standard across the industry. What is not standard: Cardo guarantees the clean. If a turnover is not 5-star quality, Cardo covers that guest's cleaning fee.
No. In-house design and professional photography are part of getting your home live. There are no setup fees, and launch work is never a line item on your statement.
Yes. Owner stays can be blocked anytime from your dashboard, with no limit and no charge.
Our core is the San Diego coast, from La Jolla and Pacific Beach up to Carlsbad and across to Coronado, and we take on select homes elsewhere in the county. Ask, and we will tell you honestly whether your home is a fit.
Short-term rentals keep their favorable tax treatment with a manager involved, but if you use the STR material-participation strategy, how the work is split matters. Read our cost segregation guide and talk to your CPA about your situation.
Tax question in there? Start with our cost segregation guide for STR owners.
Transparent since 2013
See what your home would earn, and what you would keep.
A free earning estimate shows what your home should earn in today's San Diego market, and exactly what you'd keep after our 20%.
Get my free estimate