Rent your home tax free
4/21/2021
There is a little-known provision in the tax code that allows homeowners to rent their principal residence or second home for up to 14 days a year without having to recognize the income. In this situation, the taxpayer does not deduct the rental expenses associated with the income.
There is no restriction on how much you earn. If your first or second home is in a desirable area where people are looking for short-term rentals, it could provide a windfall to the homeowner.
In cities where any big sports championships are played, there could be a market for a temporary rental of a home. Events like PGA tournaments, college basketball tournaments, Bowl games, NFL playoffs and others can create a demand for this type of rental.
For instance, there are people in Augusta, Georgia who rent their homes during the Master’s Golf Tournament each year. There are not a lot of hotel rooms in the area relative to the number of people who usually attend in non-pandemic years and the homes can fetch a nice daily rate.
There can be confusion about the different types of properties and what constitutes a home. The intended use coupled with actual experience will usually determine the type of property.
There are four types of property. A principal residence is the home you live in. There is income property that you rent and do not live in. There is investment property that is primarily held for an increase in value. And, there is inventory, which is related to your business like homes that are built or purchased to be flipped.
A second home is one that is used for the primary enjoyment of the owner in addition to their principal residence. Taxpayers are allowed to deduct the mortgage interest and property taxes on a first and second home up to specific limits. A vacation home could be another name for a second home but more accurately, it is a rental property that has more than 14 days of personal use during the year. It becomes a hybrid.
You might want to check with your insurance agent to see if your current policy covers temporary rentals, including liability in case of an accident involving personal injury. This could affect your decision as to whether you want to consider the rental.
For more information, see IRS facts about renting out a residential property or consult your tax professional.
If you would like any professional residential Real Estate advice, contact us at Paramount Real Estate Services. 1008 12th St. SE Salem, OR 97302 503-851-1645
Also, to mobilize us right away to help you move, visit us here:
Cut your Housing Costs
Cutting Your Housing Costs in Half
Cutting the price will generally bring buyers of anything out of the woodwork that were not serious before. Some renters could easily lower their monthly cost of housing by half or more by purchasing a home with all the financial benefits that come with it.
The most obvious thing in today’s market is that the mortgage payment could be less than the rent the tenants are paying. With mortgage rates hovering around 3%, this is a major factor of the savings.
The two other major contributing factors are appreciation and amortization of the mortgage, neither of which benefit tenants continuing to pay rent. According to the FHFA House Price Index, home prices rose 5.4% from July 2019 to July 2020. There were 400,000 less homes on the market during the summer of 2020 than the previous summer which is influencing appreciation.
With each payment a homeowner makes on their mortgage, a portion is used to reduce the principal amount owed. This is like a savings account for the owner because it lowers their unpaid balance and increases their equity.
The equity becomes an asset that can be accessed by doing a cash-out refinance or a home equity line of credit once the equity has reached 80% loan-to-value.
A $300,000 home purchased with an FHA loan at 3% for 30 years would have a payment of approximately $2,013 including principal and interest, taxes, insurance, and mortgage insurance premium. If the tenant were paying $2,400 in rent, this would be a savings of almost $400 a month.
The monthly principal reduction would average $500 a month for the first year which would lower the net cost of housing. The other major item to consider would be the appreciation. Assuming, in this example, the home was appreciating at 3% annually, the monthly appreciation in the first year would be $750 which would further lower the cost of housing.
| Rent |
$2,400 |
| Total House Payment |
$2,013 |
| Less Monthly Principal Reduction |
$513 |
| Less Monthly Appreciation |
$750 |
| Plus Estimated Monthly Maintenance |
$200 |
| Net Cost of Housing |
$950 |
In this example, it would cost over $1,400 per month more to rent than to own.
A different approach to this would be that the equity in this home in seven years would be $121,579 based on appreciation and principal reduction. If the same person continues to rent, there would be no equity build-up.
If you’re curious as to how much you could cut your housing cost, go to the Rent vs. Own or contact us.
If you would like any professional residential Real Estate advice, contact us at Paramount Real Estate Services. 1008 12th St. SE Salem, OR 97302 503-851-1645
Also, to mobilize us right away to help you move, visit us here: