A leasing agent typically charges about one month's rent to place a tenant — then the job ends at signing. KAYA does the same placement work autonomously — listing, answering inquiries, qualifying, touring, screening, and e-signing — for a half-month fee capped at $1,000, and then stays on to run rent, notices, and maintenance. Same job, roughly half the fee, and it doesn't disappear.
| KAYA | Leasing agent | |
|---|---|---|
| Placement fee | ½ month, capped $1,000 | ~1 month's rent |
| Answers inquiries 24/7 (incl. phone) | Yes | Business hours |
| Books tours & screens applicants | Yes | Yes |
| Verified-human applicants | Yes | Varies |
| Stays on after the lease is signed | Yes — runs the tenancy | No — job ends |
| Ongoing management option | Yes — $79/door | No |
| Who pays | Landlord, only when filled | Landlord (sometimes tenant) |
Leasing/tenant-placement fees typically run 50–100% of one month's rent (2026). Verify local norms.
A strong local leasing agent brings real relationships, in-person showings, and a hyper-local feel for pricing and demand that's hard to beat on a unique or high-end unit. If your property benefits from a person walking prospects through it and working a local network, a good agent earns their fee. KAYA wins on the repeatable placements — standard units where speed, 24/7 response, and cost matter more than a personal walk-through — and it keeps working long after an agent would have collected their month and moved on. Placement fees apply only where KAYA is licensed.
Typically 50–100% of one month's rent — often close to a full month — for marketing, showings, screening, and lease prep. The job ends at signing.
It does the same placement autonomously for a ½-month fee capped at $1,000 (licensed markets), and stays on to run the tenancy instead of leaving.
The landlord, and only when a unit is actually filled. KAYA never charges the tenant a placement or broker fee.
Placement and management fees apply only where KAYA is licensed as, or partners with, a broker of record. Elsewhere it runs software-only.
KAYA does an agent's placement work autonomously for a ½-month fee, then stays on to run rent, notices, and maintenance. Free to start; you only pay when it fills a unit.