Tenant placement in Calgary: your rental leased for a one-time fee
Find the tenant, screen them properly, paper the tenancy, then hand you the keys. No ongoing management, no long agreement.
Tenant placement is a one-off service: the agent markets the property, runs showings, screens applicants, and prepares the tenancy agreement and move-in inspection, then hands the property back to the owner, who manages it themselves. It is typically charged as a single fee of roughly half to one month's rent, with no ongoing percentage. Full property management continues after move-in, collecting rent and handling maintenance for a recurring fee.
Get a tenant placed
Tell me the address and when it's available. One fee, no ongoing commitment.
Who this is for
Plenty of Calgary landlords are perfectly capable of managing their own property and genuinely do not want a manager. What they want is to stop losing evenings to showings, and to stop guessing about applicants.
Tenant selection is where nearly all of a landlord's risk lives. Everything else, a leaking tap or a late payment, is recoverable. The wrong tenant is months of arrears, a damaged unit and a hearing. That decision is worth paying for even when the rest of the job is not.
What leasing your property costs
Having a REALTOR® or property manager lease out your property is usually one fee, charged when the tenant moves in. Across Calgary it commonly runs 50-100% of one month's rent. Mine is 50–75% of one month's rent, with nothing ongoing.
| Service | When it is charged | My fee |
|---|---|---|
| Leasing (tenant placement) | Once, when the tenant takes possession | 50–75% of one month's rent |
| Full management | Monthly, of rent collected | 8–10% |
| Lease renewal | When an existing tenant signs a new term | $150–250 |
The full breakdown, including what is never charged, is on the fees page.
What you get
- Rent priced against CMHC zone data and live comparable listings.
- Listing, photography and syndication.
- Showings handled, including the ones on Saturday.
- Screening: credit, background, rental history, eviction records, income verification.
- A written recommendation on the applicants, with the reasoning, so the decision stays yours.
- Tenancy agreement prepared, deposit handled to the letter of the Act, move-in inspection report completed.
The move-in inspection is not paperwork. Skip it and you lose the right to deduct from the security deposit for damage at all, no matter what the unit looks like at the end. It is the cheapest insurance in residential tenancy.
Then it's yours
After move-in you collect the rent, take the maintenance calls and manage the tenancy. No ongoing fee, no percentage, nothing to cancel.
If you later decide you would rather not do it, full management is there. Plenty of people go that way after a year, and plenty never do. Both are fine outcomes.
Property management services are provided through Ko Realty Ltd.. Rent and security deposits are held in the brokerage trust account as required by the Real Estate Act and the Residential Tenancies Act.
Questions
What is the fee for using a REALTOR® to lease a property in Calgary?
Usually a one-time leasing fee, also called tenant placement, charged when the tenant moves in. Across Calgary it commonly runs 50-100% of one month's rent. KO Realty charges 50–75% of one month's rent, and ongoing management is a separate 8–10% of rent collected if you want it.
How much does tenant placement cost in Calgary?
Typically half to one month's rent as a single fee, with no ongoing percentage. Compare that against the cost of a bad tenant, arrears, damage and a dispute hearing routinely exceed a year of management fees.
Can I place a tenant myself?
Yes, and many Alberta landlords do. The parts most often got wrong are screening depth, the security deposit rules, and the move-in inspection report, skipping the inspection forfeits the right to deduct from the deposit for damage entirely.
Do I have to sign a long agreement for tenant placement?
No. Tenant placement is a one-off engagement that ends when the tenant moves in and the paperwork is handed over. Ongoing management is a separate decision you can make later, or never.
Sources
- Government of Alberta: Residential Tenancies Act (Alberta), full text
- Government of Alberta: RTA Handbook for Landlords and Tenants
- Government of Alberta: Alberta.ca: Annual security deposit interest rate
Rules, fees and programs change. Confirm current details with the issuing authority before acting.
Last updated 2026-09-28 · Written by Mohammad Emon, REALTOR® (SRES®) & Licensed Property Manager, KO Realty · RECA licence CON-00133897