The verdict in three sentences
For a property agency in Dubai managing 500 to 1,500 units, custom property and owners association management software between EUR 12,000 and 30,000 (about USD 13,000 to 33,000, the range we deliver in Abidjan at 8 to 20 million FCFA) pays for itself in under a year. The main lever is online rent collection by card, bank transfer or local wallets, combined with automatic reminders by SMS and WhatsApp. On a 900-unit portfolio, arrears drop from roughly 12% to 6%, with go-live in 10 to 14 weeks.
What spreadsheet management really costs
With 900 units at an average rent of EUR 275 per month (the 180,000 FCFA benchmark of our Abidjan case), the agency collects about EUR 247,000 of monthly rent on behalf of landlords. In Dubai, rents are often 5 to 10 times higher, which makes every point of arrears even more costly. On spreadsheets, each month starts with manual receipts, then calls to late tenants.
| Monthly task | On spreadsheets | With the software | Estimated gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Issuing rent receipts | 900 files, 2 working days | Automatic generation and sending on the 1st | 2 days a month |
| Chasing late payers | Calls one by one | SMS and WhatsApp at D+3, D+7, D+15 | 60% of calls avoided |
| Collection | Cash, post-dated cheques, transfers to reconcile | Payment link by card or wallet | Automatic reconciliation |
| Landlord payouts | Manual fee calculation | Calculated owner statement and transfer | Zero calculation errors |
| Service charge calls | Letters and ledgers | Online call, tracking per owner | Faster recovery |
| Move-in and move-out inspections | Paper and scattered photos | Mobile app with dated photos | Fewer deposit disputes |
Cost of custom property management software in 2026
The amounts below are a 2026 order of magnitude for an agency with 300 to 2,000 units. Payment processing fees are negotiated with a gateway, typically 1 to 2.5% per transaction.
| Module | Content | Budget (excl. VAT) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rental management core | Units, leases, tenants, landlords, receipts | EUR 5,300 to 9,200 | 5 to 6 weeks |
| Reminders and collection | SMS, WhatsApp, card and wallet payments | EUR 2,300 to 6,100 | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Trust accounting | Owner statements, fees, payouts | EUR 2,300 to 5,300 | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Owners association module | Buildings, budgets, service charges, general meetings | EUR 2,300 to 6,100 | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Portals and app | Tenant and landlord portal, mobile inspections | EUR 1,500 to 3,800 | 2 to 3 weeks |
| Annual maintenance | Hosting, backups, support, improvements | EUR 1,800 to 4,600 per year | Ongoing |
A 900-unit agency with rental management, collection and owners association modules usually lands between EUR 18,000 and 23,000. Foreign SaaS tools cost EUR 50 to 150 per user per month, without your exact owner statement format or local integrations such as Ejari registration data.
Online collection: the feature that cuts arrears
A large share of arrears is not refusal to pay but friction: visiting the office, handling cheques, finding the right reference. A payment link sent by WhatsApp on the 1st of the month, payable in 30 seconds, removes that friction. The software automatically matches each payment to the right lease, issues the receipt and updates the landlord statement. Graduated reminders at D+3, D+7 and D+15, then an alert to the property manager, do the rest.
Mini case study
Mr Kouassi, manager of a 900-unit agency, collects the equivalent of EUR 247,000 of rent a month with 12% arrears, so about EUR 29,600 late each month. His management fee is 8% of rent collected. Bringing arrears down to 6% means EUR 14,800 more rent collected each month, so EUR 1,185 of extra fees, or EUR 14,200 a year. Add 2 days of data entry saved per month and 3 new owners association mandates won thanks to the tool, and the gain exceeds EUR 18,300 a year. For EUR 20,600 software, payback is about 13 months, after which the tool becomes a sales argument with landlords. At Dubai rent levels, the same arrears reduction pays back several times faster.
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FAQ
Do tenants really pay online?
Yes, in agencies that offer it, 55 to 70% of rents are paid through the link by the third month.
What are the collection fees?
Allow 1 to 2.5% per transaction depending on the gateway. On an EUR 275 rent, that is EUR 2.75 to 6.90, often built into management fees.
How long to get started?
Allow 10 weeks for rental management and collection, 14 weeks with the owners association module, including migration of spreadsheet data.
Can we migrate our spreadsheet history?
Yes, migration of leases, tenants and balances is included, for EUR 760 to 2,300 depending on file quality.
Does the software handle several branches or cities?
Yes, a multi-branch architecture adds roughly EUR 2,300 to 4,600 to the budget.
Let's scope your project. We define with you the scope (rental management, online collection, owners association, portals), an indicative budget of EUR 12,000 to 30,000 and a 10 to 14 week timeline. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
