Compare what you would keep, not the advertised percentage. Ask what base the commission is calculated on, what's included and what's charged separately, who receives the booking money, whether there's a minimum term and whose name the listings are in. Ask for an example worked out with a real booking and for references you can check. A serious manager will answer all of this in writing and without beating about the bush.
In short
- The same percentage can cost you quite a lot more or less depending on the base it's applied to.
- The listings should be in your own accounts: the reviews and history are yours.
- Look at what isn't covered by the commission: cleaning, tradespeople, locks, in-person check-in.
- Be wary of anyone who guarantees you a specific income.
Questions about money
What percentage do you charge, and on what base?
This is the most important question and the one most often overlooked. 20% of everything the guest pays is not the same as 20% of what's left after deducting the platform commission and cleaning. Using the example on our fees page (7 nights at €120, €80 cleaning, €920 paid by the guest), 20% of the total would be €184.00; on the management base, €138.01. The same figure in the brochure, a €45.99 difference on a single booking.
What's included and what's paid separately?
Ask for the full list in writing. Typically the commission covers listings, pricing, guest care and coordination, but every company draws the line in a different place. Ask specifically about cleaning and laundry, repairs (and whether they add a mark-up to the tradesperson's invoice), the initial photos, locks or key boxes, in-person check-in and whether there's a set-up fee.
Who receives the booking money?
Some managers collect the money themselves and pay you afterwards; with others you receive payments directly from the platforms. Both arrangements can work, but you should know which one applies to you, when you get paid and how the management fee is deducted.
What information will you give me each month?
A useful statement breaks down each booking: dates, amount, platform commission, cleaning, management and what you keep. Ask for a sample before you sign.
Questions about the contract and control
- Is there a minimum term or an exit penalty? And what happens to bookings already confirmed if you leave.
- Whose name are the listings in? If they're in the manager's account and you leave, you can lose reviews, history and ranking. We cover this in Booking.com or Airbnb.
- Can I use the property whenever I like? How much notice you need to give and how dates are blocked.
- Can I see bookings and payments in real time? If the listings are in your accounts, yes.
- Who decides the minimum price? You should be able to agree it.
Questions about day-to-day running
- How do you set prices? If they use a revenue management tool, who supervises it and with what rules. More details in dynamic pricing.
- Who looks after guests, and at what times? Problems don't give warning, and a guest with no hot water at ten at night expects an answer there and then.
- Who handles guest registration? Every guest must be reported to the Ministry of the Interior within 24 hours at most (Real Decreto 933/2021). Ask who does it and who is responsible if it goes wrong.
- How is the cleaning checked? Whether someone checks the property after every departure or only when there are complaints.
- How often do you visit the property? A regular inspection spots wear and tear before a guest mentions it in a review.
- How do arrivals work? Self check-in with a key box or smart lock, or in person, and who pays for what.
Questions about trust and paperwork
References and reviews you can check. Ask for links to listings they manage, with their public reviews on Booking.com or Airbnb. An average score with no way of checking it is worth little.
Licence and registration number. Without authorisation the property can't be advertised, and every listing must show its registration number (Ley 6/2025, art. 8.6). Ask which part of the process they help you prepare and which part you have to do yourself. If you don't have it yet, start with our guide to the holiday rental licence.
Insurance. Ley 6/2025 doesn't impose its own compulsory insurance, but that doesn't mean you don't need it. Ask what insurance the manager has for its business and check with your insurer that your policy covers holiday letting.
Our answers, in writing
If you're comparing us, this is how we answer each question. These are our current terms; the details are on fees and terms.
| Question | Why it matters | Canarias Prime Homes' answer |
|---|---|---|
| What percentage, and on what base? | It changes what you keep on every booking | 20% of the management base: what the guest pays minus the platform commission and cleaning |
| Is there a set-up fee? | It's money you pay before the first booking | No. The initial professional photography is at our expense |
| What's paid separately? | This is where surprises appear | Cleaning, which is normally paid by the guest and carries no commission; tradespeople's invoices, with no mark-up; smart locks, not normally included; in-person check-in, at an extra cost; the property's own expenses |
| Who receives the money? | It affects your control and when you get paid | Normally you, directly from Booking.com, Airbnb or other platforms |
| What information do I get? | Without detail you can't check anything | Between the 1st and 5th of each month, a statement for the previous month with bookings, revenue and financial details, along with our invoice |
| Is there a minimum term? | It lets you leave if you're not happy | No. Confirmed bookings are honoured and we agree the handover with you |
| Who owns the listings? | Reviews and history are worth money | You do: we work in your own accounts, during the management and afterwards |
| Can I use the property? | It's your home | Yes, with advance notice |
| How are prices set? | A fixed price leaves money or bookings on the table | PriceLabs, supervised by our team, with a minimum price agreed with you |
| Who looks after guests? | Issues come up at any hour | Our team, 24/7, before, during and after the stay |
| Who handles guest registration? | It's a legal obligation for every booking | We do, in the official system (SES.Hospedajes) |
| How is the property's condition monitored? | Wear and tear ends up in the reviews | A check after every departure and an in-person inspection roughly every four to six weeks |
| Can I check your work? | Figures without a source are useless | We manage 47 homes. Average score of 8.5/10 on Booking.com from more than 670 reviews, weighted average of 33 listings (September 2026). Case studies in owner results |
Warning signs
- They guarantee you a certain income or percentage improvement before they've seen the property.
- They don't explain what base they calculate the commission on, or the answer changes depending on who you ask.
- The listings are created in their account rather than yours.
- There's no written contract, or leaving involves unclear penalties.
- The statement arrives without a breakdown by booking.
In our experience, owners who switch managers rarely do so only because of the percentage. They usually talk about a lack of information, charges they can't account for or not being able to see their own bookings. If that's where you are, see how to switch managers without losing bookings.
Sources and notes
- Canarias Prime Homes terms: fees and terms. Company figures as of September 2026.
- Guest registration: Real Decreto 933/2021, text in the BOE.
- Ley 6/2025, de 10 de diciembre, de ordenación sostenible del uso turístico de viviendas: text in the BOE.
- Observations marked "in our experience" come from our day-to-day work with owners; they are not statistics.