The verdict in three sentences
For a telecom infrastructure company leasing 2,800 sites from private landowners and municipalities, ground rent often exceeds EUR 15M per year and 1 to 2% is lost to indexation errors, duplicate payments or missed renewals. Custom lease management software costs EUR 50,000 to 120,000 excl. VAT and usually pays back in under 12 months from indexation corrections alone. Its value lies in a reliable lease calendar, automatic indexation on the right indices and a clear view of operator colocation per site.
What spreadsheet lease management really costs
The property director of a towerco manages 2,800 leases signed over 20 years with mixed clauses: indexation on the French ILC, ILAT or ICC indices or a fixed rate, different anniversary dates, colocation amendments, municipal easements. With an average rent of EUR 6,000 per year, the envelope is around EUR 16.8M. A 1 to 2% error represents EUR 170,000 to 340,000 per year (2026 order of magnitude).
| Risk | Observed frequency | Estimated annual impact |
|---|---|---|
| Indexation applied to the wrong index | 3 to 5% of leases | EUR 60,000 to 120,000 |
| Indexation forgotten or applied twice | 2 to 4% of leases | EUR 40,000 to 90,000 |
| Duplicate payment to a landlord | 0.5 to 1% of payments | EUR 30,000 to 70,000 |
| Unplanned renewal (notice missed) | 10 to 25 leases per year | renegotiation at +15 to 30% |
| Colocation recharge forgotten | 2 to 3% of shared sites | EUR 40,000 to 60,000 |
| Team time on follow-ups | 2 FTE | EUR 110,000 to 130,000 |
Modules and 2026 budget
| Module | Scope | 2026 budget (excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Site and lease register | plots, landlords, clauses, signed documents, geolocation | EUR 12,000 to 25,000 |
| Calendar and alerts | anniversaries, notice periods, lease ends, reminders | EUR 6,000 to 14,000 |
| Automatic indexation | ILC, ILAT, ICC, fixed rate, caps, retroactivity | EUR 8,000 to 18,000 |
| Rent payments | payment runs, bulk SEPA transfers, receipts, reconciliation | EUR 8,000 to 20,000 |
| Operator colocation | tenants per tower, recharges, available capacity | EUR 7,000 to 18,000 |
| Integrations and reporting | ERP, accounting, IFRS 16, dashboards | EUR 9,000 to 25,000 |
| Total | EUR 50,000 to 120,000 |
Budget 10 to 15% of the initial cost per year for maintenance and EUR 200 to 600 per month for hosting depending on document volume. Migrating the 2,800 existing leases, often scanned PDFs, is priced separately: EUR 8 to 15 per lease for data entry and clause checks.
Generic property software or a towerco-specific tool?
| Criterion | Generic property management software | Custom towerco tool |
|---|---|---|
| Colocation per tower | no | yes |
| ILAT index and specific clauses | partial | full |
| 5-year cost (2,800 leases) | EUR 150,000 to 250,000 | EUR 110,000 to 200,000 |
| IFRS 16 restatement | paid add-on | included if scoped |
| Link to the technical site database | manual export | API |
| Data ownership | vendor | company |
Property management packages are designed for buildings and tenants. A towerco works the other way round: it is the tenant of the land and the landlord of operators on the same site. That two-way relationship is what justifies a dedicated build.
Mini case study
Marc, property director of a 2,800-site towerco based in Lyon, invests EUR 85,000 excl. VAT in lease software, plus EUR 25,000 to migrate contracts (about EUR 9 per lease) and EUR 11,000 of annual maintenance. From the first indexation run, the tool corrects 1.2% of rents, about EUR 200,000 per year, and identifies 46 unbilled colocations worth EUR 52,000. First-year gain reaches EUR 252,000 for EUR 121,000 spent: payback in under six months.
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FAQ
How much does telecom site lease management software cost?
Between EUR 50,000 and 120,000 excl. VAT depending on modules and integrations. A register, calendar and indexation core starts around EUR 30,000.
How long does it take to migrate 2,800 existing leases?
Allow 8 to 12 weeks with a data entry team, at EUR 8 to 15 per lease. Indexation clauses are checked one by one, because that is where the discrepancies are.
Does the software handle retroactive indexation?
Yes, it recalculates past periods and generates adjustments. On a 2,800-site portfolio, 1 to 2% of rents are typically affected.
Can we track colocation per operator?
Yes, each tower lists its tenants, remaining capacity and recharged amounts. This avoids missing 2 to 3% of recharges on shared sites.
Is IFRS 16 restatement possible?
Yes, a module computes right-of-use assets and lease liabilities for each lease, for an extra EUR 6,000 to 12,000.
Let's scope your project. Send us your site count, clause types and accounting tools and we will price software between EUR 50,000 and 120,000 excl. VAT with a 14 to 22-week plan. 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.
