Vacation Rental Cost Segregation

Case Study

Cabin in the woods

No Cost Segregation Study

Total Depreciation

$60,090

Cost Segregation Study

Total Depreciation

$1,080,039

5 Year Assets

15 Year Assets

39 Year Assets

Total Tax Benefits

$382,481

Property Type

Cabin

#Of Bedrooms

12

Building Cost

$2,678,300

Square Feet

12,000 SF

Lot Size

10 Acres

TOP DEPRECIATED ASSETS

Electric Box
Window
Door

Why is Cost Segregation Beneficial to Vacation Rentals?

Shorter Life Assets

Vacation rentals often have various components that can be reclassified as shorter-life assets, such as carpeting, lighting fixtures, decorative millwork, and specialized electrical or plumbing systems.

By identifying and reclassifying these assets through cost segregation, the vacation rental can depreciate them over shorter recovery periods, usually 5, 7, or 15 years, leading to accelerated tax deductions.

Appliances

Vacation rentals heavily invest in various appliances, including ovens, stoves, refrigerators, and washer/dryers.

These assets can be identified and reclassified through cost segregation, allowing for faster depreciation and tax savings.

Land Improvements

Cost segregation can also help vacation rentals identify land improvements, such as landscaping, parking lots, and sidewalks, which often have shorter depreciable lives compared to the overall building structure. This allows for accelerated deductions on these components.

Common Areas

Cost segregation allows vacation rentals to differentiate between common areas (e.g., living rooms, hallways) and specialty spaces (e.g., meeting rooms, home gyms) for depreciation purposes.

Specialty spaces often have specific features and components that can be depreciated over shorter periods, optimizing tax benefits.

Technology Infrastructure

Modern vacation rentals heavily rely on technology for reservations, guest services, and security.

The technology infrastructure, including servers, networking equipment, and security systems, can be segregated for faster depreciation, aligning with the shorter useful life of these assets in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.

Renovations and Improvement Costs

Vacation rentals frequently undergo renovations and improvements to stay competitive and meet evolving guest expectations.

The costs associated with these improvements can be segregated and depreciated more rapidly, providing immediate tax benefits instead of spreading the deductions over the typical 27.5-year period for residential real property.