What is Bonus Depreciation and Does It Apply to STR Properties?
Bonus depreciation lets qualifying assets be written off faster than ordinary depreciation schedules would allow. For STR owners, it usually applies to certain shorter-life assets identified directly or through cost segregation, not to the building shell itself on a 27.5-year schedule.
The asset class drives bonus eligibility
Furniture, appliances, land improvements, and other assets with recovery periods of 20 years or less are the usual bonus-depreciation candidates. The residential rental building itself generally does not qualify because it is 27.5-year property. That is why owners often pair bonus depreciation with cost segregation: the study identifies the components that can move into shorter-life buckets. Without that reclassification, the bonus opportunity is much smaller.
Placed-in-service year changes the percentage
Bonus depreciation has been phasing down under current law, so the available percentage depends on when the asset is placed in service. For example, a host placing qualifying property in service during 2025 generally works from a lower percentage than the 100% bonus rules many investors remember from earlier years, and 2026 is lower still under the scheduled phase-down. That timing detail can move the first-year deduction by tens of thousands of dollars on a large STR furnishing package or cost-seg result. Owners should model the actual year rather than assuming "full write-off."
| Example asset | Without bonus depreciation | With bonus depreciation if allowed |
|---|---|---|
| $40,000 furniture package | Recovered over normal MACRS life | Larger first-year write-off |
| 15-year land improvements from cost seg | Recovered over 15 years | Potential accelerated deduction |
| 27.5-year building basis | Standard straight-line depreciation | Generally not bonus-eligible |
Usable losses still depend on participation and income profile
A $90,000 bonus deduction is only as useful as your ability to use the loss. If the STR is nonpassive because you materially participate, the deduction may offset active or portfolio income depending on the facts. If the loss is passive, it may simply sit suspended until future passive income or disposition. That is why /learn/cost-segregation-str-tax and /learn/material-participation-real-estate should be read together with this article.
FAQ
Related questions
Usually no. The building is generally 27.5-year residential rental property, which does not fall inside the normal bonus-depreciation life threshold.
It can apply to separately identified qualifying assets like furniture and appliances. A cost seg study often increases the amount of basis that qualifies.
Not always. The best answer depends on current income, expected future brackets, state treatment, and whether you can actually use the loss.