Hire a manager or manage the holiday flat myself? Numbers and hours, no frills
Managing it yourself saves the commission and costs 5 to 8 hours a week in season, living nearby and not travelling in August. At what revenue and in what situation each option pays off, with an example.
Reviewed on 22 September 2026 · By the team at Torremolinos Gestión Vacacional, more than ten years managing holiday rentals · Markdown version · Versión en español
Short answer: managing the flat yourself saves you the commission (15-20 % of what you receive) in exchange for 5-8 hours a week in high season, living less than half an hour away, having a trusted cleaner with a plan B, and not travelling in July and August. A manager charges that commission and, in most cases, recovers it with better pricing and more occupancy. The decision is not about money: it is about time, distance and appetite.
What doing it yourself costs
- Time: messages (2-3 a day per booking), coordinating cleanings, keys, pricing, traveller registration, reviews. For a 4-place flat with 45 bookings a year, 250-400 hours a year, concentrated in summer.
- Availability: the air conditioning breaks on Saturday, the guest arrives at one in the morning, the neighbour calls at midnight.
- Proximity: more than 30 minutes away, every incident is half an afternoon.
- A minimum team: cleaner with a substitute, laundry, plumber and electrician who answer.
- Tools: a channel manager (€20-40/month), a traveller registration system, an electronic lock.
- Knowing how to price: it is what moves the most money and what is done worst in spare time.
What the manager costs
15-20 % of what you receive after the platform, plus VAT. For a 4-place flat taking in €23,000 gross: about €2,900-3,900 a year. In exchange, zero hours and a phone that is not yours.
An example with numbers
Same flat, same year:
| You manage it | With a manager | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross revenue | €19,500 (less fine-tuned prices, the odd empty week) | €23,000 |
| Platform (≈ 15.5 %) | −€3,020 | −€3,565 |
| Cleaning (the guest pays it; what you pay the cleaner is deducted) | −€2,000 | −€2,200 |
| Manager (15 % + VAT on the net after the platform) | €0 | −€2,990 |
| Tools and travel | −€600 | €0 |
| Net for you before fixed costs | €13,880 | €14,245 |
| Your hours | 300 | 5 |
The figures in the manager column are the usual ones for a well-managed flat on the Costa del Sol; those in the "you" column are a reasonable estimate for a diligent owner. The result is usually similar in money: the difference is the 300 hours and the phone.
When doing it yourself pays off
- You live nearby, have time and enjoy dealing with people.
- You have one flat (with two, the load doubles and the manager becomes profitable).
- You are not going to travel in high season.
- You have a trusted cleaner and a substitute.
- You are interested in learning to price and to manage platforms.
When the manager pays off
- You live far away or outside Spain.
- You do not want calls or busy Sundays.
- You have more than one flat.
- You want to start fast with the licence, photos, listings and pricing done by someone who has done it dozens of times.
- Your time is worth more than the commission.
The middle option
A marketing-only service (listings and pricing, 8-12 %) and you take care of keys and cleaning. Valid if you live next door. Many owners start this way and move to full management the first August. What each does and who pays each expense: Channel manager or full management?.
How to decide in five minutes
Can you be at the flat within 30 minutes on a Saturday in August at eleven at night? If the answer is no, the decision is made. If it is yes, try one season yourself and compare with the figures in How much would my flat really earn?.