What Does Villa Management Cost in Tulum? An Owner Fee Guide
Full-service villa management in Tulum generally costs 20% to 30% of gross rental income, with some companies charging up to 35% and long-term rental management running closer to 8% to 12%. Zuna Stays charges 15% to 30%, depending on how much of the work the owner wants handled.
The percentage, though, is only part of the picture. What matters is what the fee covers, what gets billed on top of it, and what is left after taxes and running costs. This guide breaks down all of it.
What the management fee usually covers
At the full-service end of the range, a Tulum manager should be handling:
Listing creation, photography direction and copywriting
Distribution across Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com and the manager's own direct-booking site
Dynamic pricing and calendar management
Guest communication before, during and after the stay, in English and Spanish
Check-in, check-out and in-stay support
Housekeeping and laundry scheduling
Maintenance coordination and vendor management
Inventory and consumables restocking
Monthly owner reporting and payouts
Lower percentages usually mean a narrower scope: listing and bookings only, with the owner arranging cleaning, maintenance and guest support.
What the fee does not usually cover
These costs are normally passed through to the owner, either billed directly or deducted from monthly payouts:
Cleaning and laundry — often charged to the guest as a cleaning fee, but shortfalls land with the owner
Consumables — coffee, water, toiletries, cleaning supplies
Pool and garden service — weekly at minimum in Tulum's climate
Repairs and maintenance — humidity, salt air and jungle conditions are hard on a house
Utilities — electricity is the big one, especially with air conditioning running through summer
Internet, streaming and security monitoring
HOA or condo fees where the villa sits in a gated development
Property tax (predial) and, for foreign owners, the annual fideicomiso trust fee
Insurance
Linen and towel replacement, which runs faster than most owners expect
Taxes on rental income in Quintana Roo
Short-term rental income in Mexico carries three separate taxes, and they are not part of your manager's fee:
IVA (value-added tax) at 16% on the lodging service. Long-term residential leases are exempt; nightly stays are not.
ISH, the Quintana Roo lodging tax, at 5% of the nightly rate.
ISR (income tax), which booking platforms withhold at source when you are registered, and at a higher rate when you are not.
Rates and withholding rules change from year to year, and how they apply depends on whether you hold an RFC, how the property is owned and how you book. Treat these numbers as the shape of the thing, not as tax advice, and confirm the details with a Mexican accountant before you model returns.
Platform commissions, and why direct bookings matter
Booking platforms take their own cut before your manager takes theirs. On the standard structure a host pays a service fee of roughly 3%, with the guest paying a larger fee on top; on the host-only structure the host absorbs the whole thing, which lands nearer 14% to 16%. Either way it comes out of the same rental.
That is why a manager's direct-booking channel is worth asking about. A stay booked directly avoids the platform fee entirely, and repeat guests who book direct are the most profitable business a villa gets.
The fee models you will be quoted
Straight commission — one percentage of gross rental income. The simplest to compare.
Tiered commission — a lower rate for owners who take on more themselves, higher for full service.
Flat fee plus commission — a monthly retainer covering fixed costs, plus a smaller percentage.
Commission with a monthly minimum — protects the manager in low season and can be expensive in a soft year.
Commission plus markups — the headline rate looks low, then maintenance, cleaning and vendor invoices carry a 10% to 20% margin. Always ask.
Questions worth asking before you sign
Is the percentage calculated on gross booking value or on what lands after platform fees?
Who keeps the cleaning fee the guest pays?
Is there a markup on maintenance work and vendor invoices?
Is there a monthly minimum?
When are owner payouts made, and what does the statement show?
Can I use my own villa, and under what notice?
What is the contract term, and what does leaving look like?
Who is legally invoicing the guest, and who files the lodging tax?
What Zuna Stays charges
Zuna Stays charges 15% to 30% of gross rental income, depending on the level of service. The lower end suits owners who want distribution, pricing and bookings handled; the higher end is full service, where we run the villa end to end and the owner sees a statement and a payout.
Our terms, in plain language:
Owner stays: use your villa any time, as long as it does not mean cancelling a confirmed reservation.
Payouts: by the 15th of each month, with a statement covering bookings, revenue and expenses.
Onboarding: about 30 days from signing to live bookings.
Portfolio: 21 villas under management in Tulum, averaging 4.9 in guest reviews.
Team: based in Tulum, not managing your home from another country.
If you want your own numbers run against what the villa should be earning, see how our management works or email zac@zunastays.com.