Blog
Rental bookkeeping, with the math shown
Schedule E, QuickBooks, reconciliation, and the tax math behind your rentals, written by people who actually keep these books, not a content farm.
Depreciation Recapture on Rental Property, Calculated
How depreciation recapture works when you sell a rental: the 25% layer, a worked $500k example, the 'allowed or allowable' trap, and the three legal ways to shrink the bill.
QuickBooks for Rental Property: Setup That Survives Tax Time
QuickBooks for rental property, set up right: the plan that tracks properties, a Schedule E chart of accounts you can import, and where it falls short.
Rental Property Bookkeeping Software: What Actually Matters
Rental property bookkeeping software compared for 2026: Stessa, Baselane, REI Hub, QuickBooks, and spreadsheets, judged by the Schedule E test that matters.
Passive Activity Loss Rules for Rental Property
The passive activity loss rules for rental property, worked on Form 8582: what absorbs a loss, the participation ladder, and per-property suspended losses.
How Much Does a Bookkeeper Cost for Rental Property?
How much does a bookkeeper cost for rental property? Real 2026 rates by pricing model, the per-property math, and when the monthly fee is worth paying.
HOA Fees on a Rental: Fully Deductible, Schedule E Line 19
HOA dues on a rental deduct in full, on Schedule E line 19, not line 11, with the part-year proration and the special assessments you capitalize instead.
Rental Property Accounting: How the System Actually Works
Rental property accounting as a system: a Schedule E chart of accounts, cash vs accrual, deposits as liabilities, and the mortgage split, with worked entries.
Qualified Business Income Deduction for Rental Property in 2026
Whether rental income qualifies for the 20% QBI deduction, the 250-hour safe harbor, and the real 2026 thresholds: $201,750 single, $403,500 joint.
Are Home Repairs Tax Deductible? Not at Home, Yes on Rentals
Not on your own home, with four exceptions. On a rental, yes, the year you pay, unless it is an improvement. Roof, HVAC, paint and remodel calls for 2026.
Security Deposit Accounting: Not Income Until You Keep It
A tenant deposit is a liability while you hold it, the part you keep becomes income on Schedule E line 3, and the repair it paid for deducts on line 14.
How to Do Bookkeeping for Rental Property (My One-Minute Month)
How to do bookkeeping for rental property, step by step: the monthly routine, which records you keep, the free templates for doing it by hand, and how I get a month down to about a minute.
Accounting Clean Up: How to Fix Messy Rental Property Books
A working accounting clean up plan for rental books: reconcile to statements, fix repairs vs improvements, split the mortgage, and catch up depreciation.
Schedule E Line 14 Repairs: What You Can Deduct in 2026
What belongs on Schedule E line 14, how the IRS separates repairs from improvements, and the three safe harbors that decide the borderline cases.
Cost Segregation for Rental Property: Worth It in 2026?
What a cost segregation study does for a rental, the 2026 bonus depreciation math, what a study costs, and the two catches: passive losses and recapture.
What Is a Good ROI on a Rental Property? Real Benchmarks
Most investors call 8% to 12% cash-on-cash a good ROI on a rental property. The number changes with the formula, so here are benchmarks for cap rate, cash-on-cash, and ROE, plus worked math and a free calculator.
Real Estate Professional Status: What the 750 Hours Buy You
Real estate professional status explained: the 750 hour rule, the 50% test, material participation, and a worked example of what qualifying is worth.
Section 179 Depreciation for Rental Property: The Real Rules
Section 179 depreciation for rental property: what qualifies after the TCJA, the 2026 limits, the three gates that block landlords, and when bonus wins.
Bonus Depreciation for Rental Property: 100% Is Back
Bonus depreciation is back to 100% permanently under the 2025 law. What qualifies in a rental (not the building), the cost seg math, and the passive-loss catch.
Rental Property Loss Tax Deduction: The $25,000 Rule
When rental property losses are deductible: the $25,000 special allowance and its phase-out, the passive activity rules, Form 8582 suspended losses, and what those losses are worth when you sell.
Depreciation Life of Rental Property Assets: The Full Table
The depreciation life of every rental property asset: why a roof and central HVAC take 27.5 years, appliances take 5, driveways take 15, and what to do with the old roof you just replaced.
Primary Residence to Rental: The Depreciation Rules
Converting your home to a rental property? The depreciation basis is the lesser of cost or fair market value at conversion. The rules, a dual-basis worked example, and what to document.
Schedule C vs. Schedule E for Rental Property: Which One and Why It Matters
Schedule C vs Schedule E decides whether your rental income pays 15.3% self-employment tax. The substantial-services test, where Airbnb lands, and the myth that short-term means Schedule C.
The De Minimis Safe Harbor Election for Rental Property
The de minimis safe harbor election lets landlords expense items up to $2,500 instead of depreciating them, and it skips the recapture at sale. How to make the election, and what qualifies.
How to Pay No Taxes on Rental Income (Legally)
Rental income is taxable, but depreciation and deductions can drive the taxable number to zero. Here is how landlords legally pay little or no tax on rental income.
How to Reconcile Your Rental Property Books (Without a Bookkeeper)
Reconciling proves your rental books are complete and correct. Here is how to do it yourself, the small gaps to expect, and the real culprits behind a balance that won't tie.
How to Categorize Rental Property Expenses for Schedule E (2026)
A practitioner's guide to sorting rental expenses onto the right Schedule E line, including the repair-vs-improvement safe harbors and the QuickBooks subtype trap that quietly understates your repairs.