Landlords · Last reviewed June 2026
How much does it cost to self-manage a rental property?
Quick Answer
UK landlords spend around £1,374 per property per year on maintenance on average. The compliance layer adds more: EICR every 5 years (around £200), annual CP12 and boiler service (£140), plus any damp surveys, inspections or ad hoc work. The total annual cost of maintaining a Lincoln rental property diligently typically runs £1,600 to £2,000 before your own time spent coordinating trades is counted.
The alternative to self-management is full letting agent management, which typically costs 10 to 15% of rent per month. On a Lincoln rental generating £800 per month, that is £960 to £1,440 per year in management fees — on top of, not instead of, maintenance costs, since agents usually add a 10 to 20% arrangement fee to any maintenance they organise.
A maintenance membership sits between the two: you keep rent collection and tenant selection, but outsource the maintenance coordination and compliance tracking to a single contractor. The LWR Landlord Group Membership starts from £200 per month and includes the compliance pack, 30% off labour and a tenant portal.
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