Want to turn your primary residence into a rental property?

Want to turn your primary residence into a rental property?

- · Member since 2024 · 95 posts · 77 votes

Here’s how in 6 easy steps:

1. Check local regulations.

First, verify that your local zoning laws, HOA rules, or condo bylaws permit renting your property.

2. Update your insurance.

If they do, inform your insurance company about the change in your property's use. You will have to switch from a homeowner’s insurance policy to a landlord insurance policy which covers rental specific risks.

3. Let your lender know.

Notify your mortgage lender about the change if required by your loan agreement.

4. Get a cost seg study done.

Once you convert your primary residence into a rental, you can get a new cost seg study done and take bonus depreciation to offset the new rental income.

5. Market your property and get tenants.

This could be through flyers, direct mail, rental marketplaces, newspaper ads, or on social media etc.

6. Hire a property manager.

If you choose to self-manage, be prepared to handle tenant comms, maintenance requests, and rent collection.

Otherwise you can hire a property manager to do all of that for you. Reminder to always keep a record of all rental income and expenses for tax purposes.

And that’s pretty much it.

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Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
2y

first thing one should do is figure out if they quality the 2  in  5 tax treatment and if the home has appreciated a ton like 250 to 500k which is very common in coastal markets and Denver for instance.. selling would be far smarter than renting. pocket the tax free and find another rental. turning it into a rental you lose that one time tax treatment which in my mind is the very best for real estate. 

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  • Investor · Bryan-College Station, TX · Member since 2020 · 27 posts · 27 votes
    2y

    2 and 3 are important! 

    When we moved from our house-hacked duplex into a single-family home, we overlooked a key step—informing both our insurance company and lender about the change. A few months later, we received a notice from the lender stating that we no longer had home insurance and needed to secure coverage within a certain number of days.

    As it turns out, our original home insurance was canceled because it required the property to be owner-occupied. We quickly switched to a new provider that allowed for rental properties, and everything worked out fine in the end.

    Now I know—next time, I’ll make sure to update both our insurance and lender before or immediately after converting a primary residence into a rental!

  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    2y

    first thing one should do is figure out if they quality the 2  in  5 tax treatment and if the home has appreciated a ton like 250 to 500k which is very common in coastal markets and Denver for instance.. selling would be far smarter than renting. pocket the tax free and find another rental. turning it into a rental you lose that one time tax treatment which in my mind is the very best for real estate. 

  • Dave FosterBusiness Member
    Qualified Intermediary for 1031 Exchanges · St. Petersburg, FL · Member since 2013 · 9k+ posts · 9k+ votes
    2y

    @Jay Hinrichs spot on!  Or, even if it has appreciated more than the $500K tax free for a married couple.  It might still be wise to convert it to an investment anyway.  Then make sure you sell it within the next three years.  So you qualify for both $500K tax free.  And the rest can be deferred indefinitely in a 1031 exchange.  And you make the rental income and enjoy the tax writeoffs during that time. 

    That's a solid double bang for your buck!

    The 1031 Investor5140 Reviews
  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    2y
    Quote from @Dave Foster:

    @Jay Hinrichs spot on!  Or, even if it has appreciated more than the $500K tax free for a married couple.  It might still be wise to convert it to an investment anyway.  Then make sure you sell it within the next three years.  So you qualify for both $500K tax free.  And the rest can be deferred indefinitely in a 1031 exchange.  And you make the rental income and enjoy the tax writeoffs during that time. 

    That's a solid double bang for your buck!


    OOOO  thats a good one.. I was noodling what to do with my personal home that I am going to sell in the next few years that has those metrics you describe I know i get the 500k .. And I dont need it to move as I already own the home i am moving to.. And my wife wants all new furniture of course so maybe I do a furnished rental ??? in my area probably bring enough to cover my holding costs while we wait for this tax treatment. I have further questions on this will e mail you.
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