Condo or Single-Family: Which Property Wins the 2025 Bonus Depreciation Game?

[William Thompson]

Ever wonder which gives you more tax power — a condo or a single-family home?

With the 2025 “Beautiful Bill” officially bringing back 100% bonus depreciation, this question just got a whole lot more interesting.
Here’s the real talk from a CPA’s perspective:

Condos often have the edge.
Because you don’t directly own the land, more of your purchase price goes toward “depreciable stuff” — like appliances, flooring, lighting, and fixtures that can be written off right away.

Houses can still win.
If the land value is low or there are big outdoor improvements (pool, driveway, fencing, etc.), those can also qualify for bonus depreciation.

Key move: Do a cost segregation study. It breaks your property into short-life assets that qualify for 100% write-off under the 2025 law. That’s where investors are unlocking massive first-year deductions.

Curious how others here see it:
Have you tried cost segregation on a condo yet?
Did it give you a bigger write-off than your single-family deals?
Let’s compare notes — I’m seeing some surprising numbers this year.

[Andrew Steffens]

I have not personally but I have had clients do both successfully. As you alluded to I think it depends on the property. I have seen clients of mine shy away from properties with high property value understandably but going into areas with low property value is usually not good for STR's. I also do not know if buying a condo to get slightly more tax advantage is worth dealing with a HOA and special assessments in the future. I think a buyer should find a property that is financially sound first and then assess the tax advantages instead of vice versa.