How much should an HOA management transition cost us?

Two separate numbers, and they are frequently confused. The outgoing company may charge a transition or termination fee, commonly from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. The incoming company may charge onboarding or initiation, which published industry sources put anywhere from a couple thousand dollars to $30,000 depending on size and the state of the records.

Both are negotiable, and the incoming fee is the more negotiable of the two — particularly if you are running a competitive process where a bidder knows others are waiving it.