Table of Content
- Talk to a Property Management Company
- – Decide if being a landlord, particularly in a house that was your home, is right for you.
- Be ready to get your hands dirty.
- Hire an attorney and consult with a real estate agent
- How To Turn Your Second Home Into A Rental Property
- Benefits of Deciding to Turn Your Home into a Rental Property
However, this is very dependent on where in the country you live so you need to compare to other properties in the market. Different lending agreements have different rules about how long you need to use the property as a primary residence. Check your Occupancy Clause in your mortgage agreement to see what your restrictions are.

If you don’t check with your lender first, that could count as mortgage fraud. The home that I used in the above illustration was in Silicon Valley, where home prices have skyrocketed over the past decade. My home was cash flow positive and was in a high appreciation market.
Talk to a Property Management Company
You can get around this using a 1031 exchange, but you’d have to use the funds to purchase another investment property, so your options are limited. A property manager handles all the paperwork, takes care of the repairs, collects the rent, and communicates with the tenants. Companies often charge an average of 10% of your rent for this service. Before you start renting your home, you need to make sure your lender’s and your HOA’s policy even allow you to. A loan for a primary residence often has different terms than for a rental so you’ll need to ask your lender if it’s even possible. You will likely have to wait at least 12 months after closing before you can convert a primary residence into a rental.

Education Free education topics for property managers, landlords, and tenants. Before you pack your first box, you need to plan out your finances and figure out what to do with your current home. While the majority of homeowners will opt to sell their home and purchase a new one, that is not the only financially wise move.
– Decide if being a landlord, particularly in a house that was your home, is right for you.
Conversely, someone using a second home as a rental property may be more likely to sever ties when the going gets tough. You may be seen as a greater risk to your lender if you convert your second property into a rental, and may get higher interest rates on your second home’s mortgage as a result. When it comes to redefining your home and reevaluating your financial situation, there are certainly a lot of stressors that come to mind. It is no wonder why you may want to consider turning your home into a rental property.
Additionally, if I turned it into a rental, how much rental income would I have brought in over those 6 years? The answer comes out to roughly $6,000 per year plus principal pay down of my mortgage, totaling about $60K of additional cash to me (forget about taxes for simplicity’s sake). To play it safe, I think turning a primary home into a rental can be done by simply refinancing your home and replacing your owner-occupied mortgage with an investment property mortgage. That way, the terms of your loan legally allow you to rent out the home.
Be ready to get your hands dirty.
But they also take a significant chunk of the profit; as much as 20 and 50% of the rental income goes to the company as commission.Be sure to vet potential property managers thoroughly. Unfortunately, there are some cons to turning your primary residence into a rental. Maintaining a rental can be a full-time job unless you pay a property management company to do it for you. Also, you forfeit the ability to exempt yourself from capital gain taxes when you eventually sell.

Whether it is a luxury condo or an affordable house and lot unit, these are the things you need to consider in converting your property to a rental business. Many Filipinos can’t still afford to buy their own home due to minimal income and poverty. Others rent properties to get closer to their workplace or tourist destinations. That is why you can find a plethora of rental properties spreading all over the country to supply the needs of the rental market.
Hire an attorney and consult with a real estate agent
While many people see these organizations as toothless annoyances, an active HOA can have a lot of power to levy fines against you and your property so it pays to take them seriously. If you own the property, the terms of your mortgage may include restrictions on renting out the home, especially within the first year. Read your mortgage agreement carefully, or call your lending agent for clarification. Of course, there will always be exceptions where turning a home into a rental makes more sense. For example, instead of turning the home into a 100% rental home, you could also house hack.

Landscaping services, like cleaning services and other maintenance costs are all tax deductible, and a well-maintained is more likely to get good reviews and repeat renters. Determine whether or not your property would make a suitable vacation rental. Before you invest a lot of time and money getting ready to rent, you should first ensure that your home is rentable.
Your second home might turn into your second job with constant guest communications. Greeting guests, managing their bookings, and giving tips and advice when they arrive takes a lot of time out of your day. Communicating with guests is a major job that property managers take on for you. According to HomeAway, the average owner who rents out a second home collects more than $33,000 a year in rental revenue. But renting a second home is not as easy as listing it on Airbnb. In this article, we cover the pros and cons of Airbnb rentals and what your options are for renting your home beyond Airbnb.
Before you look for tenants, make sure you understand Fair Housing laws. These laws came about as a way to prohibit discrimination against tenants based on their gender and race. These laws tell you how you can advertise your property and can guide you through your responsibilities as a landlord. Understand Fair Housing laws before you list the property, and run a credit check on prospective renters. Some jurisdictions will require you to notify neighbors of your plans to have a short-term rental.
There are many reasons for turning a house into a rental property. Maybe your home has been languishing on the market for too long. Or you’ve inherited a home that you’d rather not sell right now. If you enter into the transition with a comprehensive understanding of the risks and rewards, you’re much more likely to find success as a new landlord or property owner.

Some property owners also install lock boxes on site, or keyless locks that require a code. Some renters even snail mail keys to their guests, but this is a risky and potentially messy protocol and should be avoided. Make sure that all appliances work, that furniture is comfortable and in good repair, and that everything is clean and neat.
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