Property management in the Dominican Republic can mean anything from occasional home checks to handling bookings and guest stays. Before buying a home you will manage from abroad, ask for a proposal that defines the service, the fee calculation and the reports you will receive. A percentage without those details does not tell you the cost of the arrangement.
For buyers considering Las Terrenas, Sosúa, Cabarete or Puerto Plata, this is part of choosing a property you can operate. It is separate from deciding whether a condo or villa suits you, and from estimating the entire ownership budget.
Specify the work you need while away
Describe how you intend to use the home. Will you leave it vacant between personal visits, offer it to holiday guests or seek a longer tenancy? List the work you expect someone to handle in each case. A key holder may not provide booking administration, guest support or maintenance supervision unless those duties are agreed.
Ask who covers urgent issues outside normal hours and how the owner authorizes nonurgent work. For a home with a pool or substantial grounds, identify who performs the work and whether coordination and contractor charges are separate. The condo-versus-villa guide helps you compare the property responsibilities first.
Compare the same fee calculation
Request the definition of the amount to which a percentage applies. It could refer to accommodation charges, charges including cleaning, or money received after specified deductions. Ask how refunds, cancellations, owner stays, direct bookings and discounts affect the calculation.
A lower advertised percentage can produce a higher management charge. This illustration uses invented proposal terms solely to show the arithmetic; it is not a Dominican rate survey, service quotation or rental-income forecast.
Scroll horizontally to read every column.
| Illustrative calculation | Proposal A | Proposal B |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation charges in the example | US$1,000 | US$1,000 |
| Cleaning charged in the example | US$120 | US$120 |
| Invented management terms | 20% of accommodation charges | 15% of accommodation plus cleaning, then US$60 base fee |
| Calculation | 0.20 × 1,000 | (0.15 × 1,120) + 60 |
| Management charge only | US$200 | US$228 |
This table compares only the management charges under those invented terms. It does not calculate profit or subtract platform charges, cleaning expense, maintenance or taxes. Use the definitions in the proposals you actually receive.
Keep platform charges on their own line
A booking platform’s fee and a property manager’s fee are different charges. Airbnb’s current hosting guidance describes a move to a single host service fee, generally 15.5%, with exceptions. Check the fee shown for the relevant listing and reservation rather than assuming an old 3% figure still applies. Source: Airbnb’s October 13, 2026 host-fee explanation.
Ask whether a management proposal calculates its commission before or after the platform deduction. Also ask whether the manager uses software or co-host payouts that affect the payment flow. Keep a sample reservation breakdown with the proposal so you can follow the money from the guest’s payment to the owner’s receipt.
Request a sample owner statement
A useful sample should let you connect a booking to its charges, deductions and payout. Ask for an anonymized example, without another owner’s or guest’s private information.
Check whether you can distinguish these items:
- Booking dates, accommodation charges and any owner-use dates.
- Platform deductions and the manager’s fee calculation.
- Cleaning charges collected and cleaning expenses paid.
- Maintenance invoices, supplier markups and approvals.
- Taxes or other deductions identified by the responsible adviser.
- The amount remitted to the owner and any balance retained.
Ask who will hold the booking accounts, receive payments and keep the records. Agree how access and records will be handled when the service ends. You should not have to reconstruct the financial history from scattered WhatsApp messages.
Identify charges that remain when there are no guests
Ask whether there is a base fee during vacant months and whether owner visits change the charge. Confirm which services continue when the property is empty, how often the home is checked and how completed work is reported.
For a separate example of a published fee structure, CONTI & Co’s North Coast management page lists an accounting and advertising charge. It describes that operator’s offering, not an industry-wide price. Its existence is a reason to ask about fixed charges alongside percentages; it is not a recommendation of a manager or confirmation of an available service for your home.
The Cabarete ownership-budget guide covers the wider cost categories. Keep that budget separate from this comparison of management proposals.
Questions to settle before appointing a manager
Is a manager’s projected revenue a guaranteed return?
No. Ask for the basis, period and assumptions behind a projection. Distinguish actual records for an identified property from a proposed scenario. Occupancy and gross revenue do not establish what the owner will retain after costs.
Can I compare holiday-rental and long-term proposals by percentage alone?
The workloads and fee definitions can differ. Compare the scope, fixed charges, placement charges where applicable, maintenance responsibilities and calculation base. Confirm the proposed rental arrangements with the relevant professional advisers.
What should I tell Jean about my ownership plans?
Tell Jean how often you will use the home, whether you are considering rentals and which responsibilities you expect to handle from abroad. Those preferences help shape the property search. Management proposals can then be assessed against the home and the tasks you need covered.
Send Jean your location, budget and intended use. Explain how often you expect to be in the country and what you want handled while away.