Costs & ROI
Per building, per unit or flat fee: which pricing model wins
When evaluating management software for condominium administration, the list price matters less than the model used to calculate it. Solutions on the market essentially follow three logics: a fee per managed building, a fee per property unit, and a tiered flat fee. The difference is not cosmetic, because the same portfolio of buildings can cost very differently depending on the model, based on how many condominiums you manage and how many units each contains. This guide explains how each model works, which practices it favours, and how to run the numbers on your real situation before signing, so that an apparently low rate does not hide a cost that is disproportionate to your portfolio's actual structure.
Compared
| Criterion | Per-building pricing | Per-unit pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Calculation base | Number of managed condominiums, regardless of their size | Total number of property units (flats, garages, shops) managed |
| Favours | Practices with many large, unit-rich buildings | Practices with many small buildings holding very few units each |
| Predictability | High, cost changes only when you win or lose a mandate | Medium, cost also shifts when the number of units on file changes |
| Hidden risk | A very large building costs the same as a small one, unfair with a mixed portfolio | Super-condominiums and buildings with many appurtenances inflate the count |
| Transparency for the meeting | Easy to explain, one amount per building | Requires an accurate unit count to justify the expense |
Fee per managed building
In the per-building model, the cost depends on how many buildings the practice administers, without regard to how many property units each contains. A building with eight flats and one with sixty weigh the same on the fee. This makes spend very predictable: it rises only when you win a new mandate and falls when you lose one, regardless of internal movements within each building.
The model suits practices that mostly manage medium to large condominiums, with many units per building: spreading the fixed per-building cost over a high number of owners lowers the per-capita cost. It becomes penalising, however, when the portfolio is made of micro-condominiums, small blocks with few units or minor buildings without a mandatory manager under Article 1129 of the Italian Civil Code, because each one pays like a large building.
Fee per property unit
In the per-unit model, the calculation base is the total number of managed property units: flats, but also garages, cellars, shops and other appurtenances recorded on file. It is the model most proportional to the real workload, because units determine how many allocation shares, how many instalments and how many arrears positions the practice must track.
This model rewards practices with many small condominiums, where few units per building keep the overall count low. You should, however, check how the provider counts accessory units: if garages and cellars weigh the same as a flat, a building with many appurtenances or a super-condominium under Article 67 of the implementing provisions of the Italian Civil Code can push the total well beyond the actual number of households.
- Ask whether appurtenances (garages, cellars, parking spaces) count as full units or at a reduced rate.
- Verify how units are counted in super-condominiums and buildings with multiple stairwells.
- Check whether the count is updated in real time or captured at the start of the year.
- Confirm whether vacant or unlet units still affect the fee.
Tiered flat fee
The tiered flat fee groups the portfolio into brackets: for example one bracket up to a certain number of buildings or units, then the next, and so on. Within a bracket the cost does not change, which keeps spend flat and very easy to budget for the practice's entire financial year.
The advantage is simplicity and protection from gradual growth: as long as you stay within the bracket, taking on a few more mandates does not increase the cost. The drawback is the bracket jump, which can be costly when you exceed the threshold by only a few units. It is best to sit comfortably within a bracket with margin and to check what the next step costs, so you do not end up paying the higher bracket for a handful of extra units.
How to choose based on your portfolio
The choice does not depend on the model in the abstract but on the real composition of your portfolio. The practical method is to calculate the annual cost under each model using your actual figures: number of buildings, total number of units, and the distribution of sizes. A practice with ten large condominiums and one with sixty micro-condominiums may have the same number of total units yet find value in opposite models.
You should then project expected growth, because someone aiming to acquire many small mandates reasons differently from someone consolidating a few large buildings. Finally, price stability over time matters, because a model that automatically adjusts to the portfolio avoids renegotiations. AmministraPro uses pricing designed to follow the practice's real structure with predictable costs, and on the site's features and pricing pages you can compare plans and estimate spend against your own number of buildings and units before any commitment.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between per-building and per-unit pricing?
In per-building pricing you pay based on how many buildings you administer, regardless of their size, so a small building costs the same as a large one. In per-unit pricing the base is the total number of managed property units, including appurtenances such as garages and cellars. The former suits few large condominiums, the latter many small ones.
Is the tiered flat-fee model worth it?
It is worth it for predictability, because within a bracket the cost does not change and spend is easy to budget. The critical point is the bracket jump: exceeding the threshold by even a few units can move you to the higher bracket. The practical rule is to sit within a bracket with margin and check in advance how much the next step costs.
Do appurtenances like garages and cellars affect the price?
It depends on the model and the provider. In per-unit pricing, garages, cellars and parking spaces may count as full units, inflating the count especially in buildings with many appurtenances and in super-condominiums. Ask explicitly whether appurtenances are counted at full rate, reduced rate or excluded, because the answer significantly changes the annual cost.
How do I work out which model suits my practice?
You need to calculate the annual cost under each model using your real figures: how many buildings you manage, how many total units, and how building sizes are distributed. Portfolios with the same number of units but different composition find value in opposite models. You should then factor in expected growth and price stability over time.
How does AmministraPro calculate its price?
AmministraPro uses pricing built to follow the practice's real structure, with predictable costs over time and no unexpected maintenance charges. Details on plans, brackets and included features are available on the site's features and pricing pages, where you can estimate spend against your own number of buildings and units before subscribing.
Try AmministraPro
Accounting, thousandths-based cost splitting, meetings, communications and artificial intelligence in a single Italian software, compliant with UNI 10801 and GDPR.