With the increasing popularity of sites like Air BnB and HomeAway, renting out you second home has become increasingly popular and easier then ever. Unfortunately, the tax rules on income from such rentals can be complicated; even more so if you rent the home out for several months of the year, but also use the home yourself.

However, one aspect that is not complicated is the rule regarding short-term rentals – Homeowners who rent out their property for 14 or fewer days a year can pocket the rental income, tax-free.

This so-called “Master’s exemption” is  what allows homeowners near the historic horse race track in Saratoga, NY to rent out their homes during the track season and avoid paying any income tax so long as the total number of days is 14 or under. It is also used by homeowners who rent out their homes for movie productions or those whose residences are located near Super Bowl sites or national political conventions.

Tip:If you live close to a vacation destination such as the beach or mountains, you may be able to make some extra cash by renting out your home (principal residence) when you go on vacation–as long as it’s two weeks or less. And, although you can’t take depreciation or deduct for maintenance, you can deduct mortgage interest, property taxes, and casualty losses on Schedule A (1040), Itemized Deductions.

In general, income from rental of a vacation home for 15 days or longer must be reported on your tax return on Schedule E, Supplemental Income and Loss. Your rental income may also be subject to the net investment income tax. You should also keep in mind that the definition of a “vacation home” is not limited to a house. Apartments, condominiums, mobile homes, and boats are also considered vacation homes in the eyes of the IRS.

Further, the IRS states that a vacation home is considered a residence if personal use exceeds 14 days or more than 10 percent of the total days it is rented to others — Whichever is greater. When you use a vacation home as your residence and also rent it to others, you must divide the expenses between rental use and personal use, and you may not deduct the rental portion of the expenses in excess of the rental income.

Example: You own a camp on Oneida Lake and rent it out during the summer, typically between mid-June and mid-September. Your family also vacations at the house for one week in May and two weeks in October — The rest of the time the house is empty. The family uses the house for 21 days and it is rented out to others for 121 days for a total of 142 days of use during the year. Under this scenario, 85 percent of expenses such as mortgage interest, property taxes, maintenance, utilities, and depreciation can be written off against the rental income on Schedule E and the remaining 15 percent of expenses, only the owner’s mortgage interest and property taxes are deductible on Schedule A.

If you have questions about vacation home rental income or income derived from sources such as Air BnB please feel free call and speak to a tax and accounting professional today. If you found this article helpful, please like our page on Facebook. For a list of the types of services we provide, visit our services page.