The Fees Under the Fee: Setup, Renewal, Eviction and Voucher Surcharges

The add-ons Cleveland firms actually publish

The headline number in a management proposal is the monthly percentage, and it is rarely the whole price. Five Greater Cleveland firms publish pricing publicly, and between them they list four charges no monthly rate covers: setup, lease renewal, eviction filing, and a surcharge for placing a voucher tenant.

Everything below is as published July 2026 and rechecked against the same pages in August 2026, from the companies' own pages, none of which carries an effective date. The last column shows each charge as a share of one month's rent at Yardi Matrix's Cleveland metro average asking rent of $1,246 (February 2026) — our arithmetic, not a quote.

Setup fees: one firm publishes one, four say nothing

Progressive Urban Property Management publishes a one-time setup fee that scales with portfolio size: $150 for 1–3 units at one address, $100 to $150 per unit for 4–9, and $75 per unit for 10–100. It is charged alongside a leasing fee of one full month's rent, itself carrying an $800 minimum on the smallest tier. It is the only setup charge published by the five firms here — and Evernest is the one firm that publishes the opposite, stating on its Cleveland pricing page that it charges no setup fees.

Beyond those two, a charge missing from a pricing page is not a zero in a contract. Setup fees are also the least forgiving: they are billed on the way in, before a tenant exists and before any rent arrives. Ask whether it is per property or per unit.

Renewal fees: the add-on that comes back

Four firms publish a renewal charge. High Tech Property Management lists $295 on Bronze, $249 on Silver and $149 on Gold. Evernest Cleveland publishes $250 when a tenant re-signs. Realty Trust Services publishes $199. B2B Property Management charges $195 on Standard and includes it on Premium. A Cleveland manager's own fee guide puts the market range at $100 to $300 per renewal; every published figure sits inside it.

High Tech's schedule is the trap in miniature: its cheapest monthly plan carries the priciest renewal (8% monthly, $295) and its most expensive plan the cheapest ($149), so ranking plans by percentage reverses the ranking by renewal. Progressive Urban publishes no renewal fee at all — an omission to ask about, not a zero to assume.

At $1,246, a $250 renewal is about a fifth of a month's rent for paperwork on a tenant already in the unit — and it recurs. Headline monthly rates are compared in what Cleveland firms actually charge.

The eviction fee, and the work it does not cover

Only one firm here publishes an eviction charge: B2B lists $195 per filing. Treat that as the price of the manager's role, and ask what is billed on top.

Ask because a voucher tenancy does not follow the simple path. Cleveland Municipal Court's Housing Division warns that most subsidized tenants "are entitled to an opportunity to correct their conduct before the landlord may file an eviction action," and that landlords receiving a rent subsidy should consult an attorney first.

CMHA's side is more forgiving: it holds the Housing Assistance Payment at the landlord's request during an eviction, and if the tenant stays and the unit is not in abatement, "the landlord may receive all withheld HAP payments, whether or not the landlord won or lost the eviction."

The voucher surcharge, and who actually pays it

One firm prices a voucher tenancy differently. Progressive Urban publishes a leasing fee of one full month's rent on every managed plan plus an additional $250 for voucher tenants, on top of that setup fee — roughly another fifth of a month, paid before the first HAP deposit lands.

No government source — HUD, CMHA, Ohio law, Cuyahoga County — regulates management or placement fee levels, so nothing caps that surcharge and nothing stops you negotiating it. It cannot be recovered from the tenant either: CMHA states families may not pay more than the rent share CMHA determines, and that "side deals between the landlord and family are illegal." CMHA publishes no signing bonus, damage-mitigation fund or vacancy-loss payment to offset it.

The surcharge does price real work. Since January 1, 2026, CMHA's Mandatory Landlord Orientation must be completed by the owner or managing agent before CMHA can execute a HAP contract for a new tenancy, and repeated every 24 months. What a full month buys is broken down in tenant placement fees in Cleveland.

The one charge that is not the manager's

Under 24 CFR 982.405(h) a housing authority may not charge the owner for the initial inspection or the first inspection during occupancy, but it "may establish a reasonable fee to owners for a reinspection" when a cited deficiency was not corrected — and "The owner may not pass this fee along to the family." CMHA does not publish that amount, so ask CMHA rather than accept a figure from elsewhere.

What no pricing page tells you, and what to ask

Three gaps sit on those same pages. B2B's Standard 5% plan says "minimums apply" without publishing the minimum. High Tech publishes renewal fees but no base leasing fee. Evernest publishes no management percentage at all — the 8%–10% capped at $199 quoted for its Cleveland office comes from an aggregator directory last updated June 7, 2024. Prefer a live company page to a directory, then get the rest in writing:

• Is there a setup fee, and is it per property or per unit?
• Is a renewal fee charged, how much, and waived on any plan?
• What is the monthly minimum, and is there a cap?
• Who pays for an eviction filing, and what is billed on top?
• Any surcharge for a voucher tenancy — at placement, monthly, or both?
• Does the monthly fee keep running while the unit sits vacant?

What we charge — the entire list

Placement is one month's rent, charged only after the tenant is placed — no placement, no fee. Management is 5% of monthly rent, billed only while the unit is rented. Attending the CMHA inspection with a written report is $100, or you attend yourself and pay nothing. Repair estimates are free, itemized and back inside 24 hours; nothing starts without your approval. No setup fee, no renewal fee, no eviction filing fee, no voucher surcharge.

We have completed CMHA's Virtual Landlord Orientation, the session required before CMHA can execute a HAP contract on a new tenancy, and we work Greater Cleveland and Cuyahoga County under CMHA. Call (440) 444-4737 or see Section 8 Stress Free. Still comparing firms? How to choose a Cleveland property manager turns that checklist into an interview.

This article is general information for property owners in the Cleveland area, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Rules set by CMHA, HUD, the State of Ohio, Cuyahoga County and individual municipalities change, and individual situations vary — check the sources cited above or consult a qualified attorney or accountant before acting. Rent Finder Cleveland is an equal housing opportunity provider and does business in accordance with the Fair Housing Act.