PROP HOURS BLOG

The PropHours Blog

Tax-smart insights for rental owners: REPS, the short-term rental loophole, cost segregation, and the material participation hour logs that make it all work.

Flat illustration of a real estate professional reviewing property documents at a desk

September 22, 2026

Real Estate Professional Status (REPS), Explained

Two tests stand between rental owners and non-passive losses: 750 hours and more-than-half. Here is how REPS actually works — and the hour log that proves it.

Flat illustration of a vacation rental house with a golden key, coins and documents

September 22, 2026

The Short-Term Rental Tax Loophole, Explained

The 7-day rule can take your short-term rental out of the passive-loss box entirely — but only if you materially participate. The rules, the myths, and the records that matter.

Exploded-view illustration of a house showing building components separated in different colors

September 22, 2026

Cost Segregation for Rental Property, Explained

A study can move 15–30% of a property's value into 5, 7, and 15-year buckets. How it works, when it pays for itself, and what still limits the deduction.

Flat illustration of a rental owner and a property manager each holding a stopwatch, comparing logged work hours

September 22, 2026

The 100-Hour Trap: Property Managers and STR Tax Deductions

You cleared 100 hours — but your property manager logged more. Why the 100-hour test is a comparison, not a quota, and five ways to beat it.

Start with the fundamentals

New to material participation? Browse our seven plain-English guides to the IRS tests, or estimate your savings with the STR tax savings calculator.