In short: Guatemala’s guild of real-estate professionals, the Gremial de Profesionales Inmobiliarios (GPI), publishes a fee schedule it says members and clients must follow. For managing a rental it sets 7.5-15% of the rent collected if the manager only collects rent, and 10-20% or more if they also administer the property, plus IVA, paid by the landlord. Finding a tenant costs one month’s rent on a lease of a year or more. For short-term rentals nobody we found publishes a management commission. What is published is Airbnb’s cut: 15.5% of each booking for most hosts under its single-fee structure, before the manager takes anything.
This page is for owners, especially foreign owners who live abroad, deciding who will collect rent, fix the water heater and answer the guest at 2 a.m. For whether a short-term rental earns more than a long lease in the first place, see Airbnb vs long-term rent in Guatemala and Airbnb ROI in Guatemala.
Long-term rentals: the GPI fee schedule
The GPI published its schedule, Los Honorarios a cobrarse por servicios inmobiliarios, on 9 August 2022. It is the only published fee table for Guatemalan property management we found. Fees are calculated as a percentage of the price in the written brokerage contract, and in the end on the final rent or sale price.
| Service | Fee under the GPI schedule | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| Rent collection only | 7.5% to 15% of what is collected | Landlord, plus IVA |
| Rent collection plus administration | 10% to 20% or more, depending on complexity | Landlord, plus IVA |
| Finding a tenant, lease of 12 months or more | One month’s rent (more can be negotiated for leases over a year) | Usually the landlord |
| Finding a tenant, shorter lease | At least 25% of one month’s rent for the first three months, then proportional to the months contracted | Usually the landlord |
| Renewal handled by the same agent | Agreed between the parties | Landlord |
| Selling an urban property | At least 5% of the real sale price (5-10% for rural or remote property) | Seller, plus IVA |
Two clauses in the schedule are worth knowing before you sign:
- Early termination. If a lease ends before its term for reasons that are not the agent’s fault, the agent does not refund the fee, in whole or in part, though they may offer to find a new tenant without charging again.
- In writing. The schedule refers throughout to fees “expresamente convenidos en los acuerdos escritos”, that is, agreed in writing. Get the percentage, what it covers and the IVA line into the contract.
What “administration” should mean in your contract
The GPI schedule prices “gestiones propias de la administración” but does not list them, so the 10-20% band covers anything from a monthly phone call to full maintenance management. Before comparing quotes, write down which of these you are paying for:
| Task | Ask the manager |
|---|---|
| Rent collection and deposit handling | Into whose account? When is it transferred to you, and in which currency? |
| Tenant screening and the lease | Who drafts the lease, and who pays the notary? |
| Repairs | Is there a spending limit they can approve without you? Do they add a margin to contractor invoices? |
| Utilities, IUSI and HOA fees | Do they pay these from the rent? IUSI is the owner’s municipal property tax. |
| Inspections | How often, and do you get photos? |
| Vacancy | Do they charge the management fee while the property is empty? |
| Reporting | A monthly statement with receipts? |
Short-term rentals: Airbnb’s cut comes first
Short-term rental managers and Airbnb co-hosts in Guatemala do not publish their commission, at least none of the ones we checked (the management company Kiiper’s home page lists the houses it runs and a property-management section, but no fee). Ask for it in writing. The part you can price in advance is Airbnb’s own fee, from its Help Center, read 24 September 2026:
| Airbnb fee structure | Host pays | Guest pays |
|---|---|---|
| Single fee (being made standard) | 15.5% for most hosts; others 14-16% | The whole fee is deducted from the host’s payout |
| Split fee (being phased out) | 3% for most hosts | 14.1% to 16.5% of the booking subtotal |
Airbnb says the single fee is mandatory for most hosts, including hosts who use property management software, and that it is moving all home hosts to it. So if your manager runs your listing through management software, expect the 15.5% host fee and the manager’s commission to both come out of the nightly rate.
Do the arithmetic before you choose
A worked example using CityMax Guatemala’s rent rule of thumb (monthly rent at 0.8% of market value; its own example is a Q950,000 property renting for Q7,600 a month). At the GPI rates, the fee alone is:
| Arrangement | Fee rate | Monthly fee on Q7,600 rent | Before IVA? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collection only, low end | 7.5% | Q570 | yes, IVA on top |
| Collection only, high end | 15% | Q1,140 | yes, IVA on top |
| Full administration, low end | 10% | Q760 | yes, IVA on top |
| Full administration, 20% | 20% | Q1,520 | yes, IVA on top |
The percentages and the Q7,600 example are published; the fee column is our arithmetic. For a short-term rental, ask whether the manager’s commission is calculated on gross bookings or on the net payout after Airbnb’s 15.5% fee: on the same booking the two give different amounts. Cleaning, utilities and empty nights also come out of the same revenue; our Airbnb vs long-term page explains why occupancy is not measured anywhere for Guatemala.
Red flags in a management contract
- A percentage with no list of tasks. The GPI band runs from 10% to “20% or more”, so the task list is what you are really negotiating.
- Rent paid into the manager’s personal account with no monthly statement.
- No spending cap on repairs without your approval.
- A fee on rent that was never collected (vacant months) unless you agreed to it.
- No IVA line, which can mean the quote is not the final price, or that no invoice will be issued.
Related pages
- Airbnb vs long-term rent in Guatemala
- Airbnb ROI in Guatemala
- Average rent in Guatemala
- Buying property in Guatemala: the full guide
- IUSI property tax
- Service prices hub
Sources
All read 24 September 2026.
- Gremial de Profesionales Inmobiliarios (GPI): Los Honorarios a cobrarse por servicios inmobiliarios, published 9 August 2022
- Airbnb Help Center: Airbnb service fees (article 1857)
- CityMax Guatemala: calculating your property’s rent
- Kiiper: Airbnb property management in Guatemala (home page; no fee published)
The GPI percentages are the guild’s published schedule; individual managers can and do negotiate. Get every fee in the written contract.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a property manager charge in Guatemala?
The fee schedule published by the Gremial de Profesionales Inmobiliarios (GPI), Guatemala’s guild of real-estate professionals, sets 7.5% to 15% of the rent collected when the manager only collects rent, and 10% to 20% or more when they also handle administration, depending on how complex it is. The landlord pays, plus IVA. The GPI published this schedule on 9 August 2022 and says its members and their clients must adjust to it.
How much does an agent charge to find a tenant in Guatemala?
Under the GPI schedule, one month’s rent for a lease of at least 12 months, usually paid by the landlord. For shorter leases the fee can be charged at no less than 25% of a month’s rent for the first three months, with the rest proportional to the months contracted. If the lease ends early for reasons that are not the agent’s fault, the agent keeps the fee.
What does an Airbnb co-host or short-term rental manager charge in Guatemala?
We did not find a Guatemalan short-term-rental manager that publishes its commission, so ask for it in writing. What is published is Airbnb’s own cut: under Airbnb’s single-fee structure most hosts pay 15.5% of the booking, and Airbnb says that structure is mandatory for most hosts, including those who use property management software. A manager’s commission comes on top of that.
Is the property manager's fee subject to IVA in Guatemala?
Yes, according to the GPI schedule: in every case the landlord pays the fees plus IVA. Ask whether a quote is before or after IVA.
How much rent should I charge for my property in Guatemala?
One rule of thumb that CityMax Guatemala describes, citing real-estate experts, is to set monthly rent at 0.8% to at most 1% of the property’s market sale value. Its example: a property worth Q950,000 at 0.8% rents for Q7,600 a month. Check that against real listings in the same zone before you set a price.
