Rental Property Depreciation Calculator

Calculate the depreciation for a rental property or real estate using the straight line method and mid-month convention, as required by the IRS for rental property and real property.

Have a Question or Feedback?

Depreciation Schedule:

Year	Depreciation Amount
2024	$8,712
2025	$9,091
2026	$9,091
2027	$9,091
2028	$9,091
2029	$9,091
2030	$9,091
2031	$9,091
2032	$9,091
2033	$9,091
2034	$9,091
2035	$9,091
2036	$9,091
2037	$9,091
2038	$9,091
2039	$9,091
2040	$9,091
2041	$9,091
2042	$9,091
2043	$9,091
2044	$9,091
2045	$9,091
2046	$9,091
2047	$9,091
2048	$9,091
2049	$9,091
2050	$9,091
2051	$4,922

Year	Year Start Book Value	Depreciation Amount	Depreciation Percent	Accumulated Depreciation	Year End Book Value
2024	$250,000	$8,712	3.48%	$8,712	$241,288
2025	$241,288	$9,091	3.64%	$17,803	$232,197
2026	$232,197	$9,091	3.64%	$26,894	$223,106
2027	$223,106	$9,091	3.64%	$35,985	$214,015
2028	$214,015	$9,091	3.64%	$45,076	$204,924
2029	$204,924	$9,091	3.64%	$54,167	$195,833
2030	$195,833	$9,091	3.64%	$63,258	$186,742
2031	$186,742	$9,091	3.64%	$72,349	$177,651
2032	$177,651	$9,091	3.64%	$81,440	$168,560
2033	$168,560	$9,091	3.64%	$90,531	$159,469
2034	$159,469	$9,091	3.64%	$99,622	$150,378
2035	$150,378	$9,091	3.64%	$108,713	$141,287
2036	$141,287	$9,091	3.64%	$117,804	$132,196
2037	$132,196	$9,091	3.64%	$126,895	$123,105
2038	$123,105	$9,091	3.64%	$135,986	$114,014
2039	$114,014	$9,091	3.64%	$145,077	$104,923
2040	$104,923	$9,091	3.64%	$154,168	$95,832
2041	$95,832	$9,091	3.64%	$163,259	$86,741
2042	$86,741	$9,091	3.64%	$172,350	$77,650
2043	$77,650	$9,091	3.64%	$181,441	$68,559
2044	$68,559	$9,091	3.64%	$190,532	$59,468
2045	$59,468	$9,091	3.64%	$199,623	$50,377
2046	$50,377	$9,091	3.64%	$208,714	$41,286
2047	$41,286	$9,091	3.64%	$217,805	$32,195
2048	$32,195	$9,091	3.64%	$226,896	$23,104
2049	$23,104	$9,091	3.64%	$235,987	$14,013
2050	$14,013	$9,091	3.64%	$245,078	$4,922
2051	$4,922	$4,922	1.97%	$250,000	$0

This calculation is based on widely-accepted formulas for educational purposes only, and it is not a recommendation for how to handle your finances. Consult with a financial professional before making financial decisions.

Learn how we calculated this below

scroll down

Add this calculator to your site

How to Calculate Rental Property Depreciation

When owning or managing a rental property, it’s important to know how to calculate rental property depreciation. Depreciation is an accounting strategy that makes it possible to distribute expenses (such as the cost of acquiring a rental property) over time.

While calculating rental property depreciation is fairly straightforward, there are a few unique nuances that rental property owners should keep in mind.

Most notably, as a result of regulations established by the IRS, rental property owners need to use a modified prorated formula that moves the depreciation entry to the middle of the month, rather than the beginning or end of the month.

They also have to plan to own the property for more than one year and can only depreciate the property itself, not the value or cost of the land.

Don’t worry. It’s not as complicated as it sounds. In this brief guide, we will help answer the questions you might have about calculating rental property depreciation.

What is Depreciation?

One thing that many people tend to overlook is that depreciation is a cost allocation strategy, rather than an accurate estimate of how an asset’s value has changed over time.

By calculating depreciation, the expense of an asset (including rental property) can be distributed over the course of that asset’s useful life, rather than being accrued all at once.

This is an important tool for investors, allowing them to deduct the costs of long term investments like rental properties from their taxes.

For rental property owners, depreciation calculations can be used not only for the property itself but also for any investment they’ve made in the property that has a limited useful life.

Straight-Line Depreciation

There are many different depreciation calculation strategies you might consider, but the most common is straight-line depreciation. This straightforward formula will evenly distribute the costs of acquiring an asset (cost basis) over its useful life.

The straight-line depreciation method results in a linear distribution of costs (instead of an exponential distribution), which makes it very easy to calculate, and all you need to know are the cost basis of the asset and the recovery period (useful life).

Straight-Line Depreciation Formula

The straight line depreciation formula for a full year is:

depreciation = cost basis / recovery period

So, if the cost basis were $500,000 and the recovery period was 10 years, the yearly depreciation value would be $50,000.

Depreciation for Rental Properties

As mentioned earlier, rental property owners will need to make a slight adjustment to their depreciation calculation because the IRS requires depreciation to be allocated in the middle of the month instead of at the end of the year.

They will also need to separate out the cost they paid for the property from the value of the land it’s on, if they also own the land.

Prorated First Month Depreciation Formula

The IRS requires that the depreciation for the first year be prorated for the number of months the property is in use.^[1] The straight line depreciation formula for a partial first year prorated for the number of months in use is:

1st year depreciation = (12 – months) + 0.5 / 12 × cost basis / recovery period

As you can see, the only part of this formula that is different from the standard straight-line depreciation method is the first part, which accounts for the monthly adjustment.

So, if you are the owner of a rental property, be sure you update your books at least once per month so that you can account for depreciation throughout the year.

You may also be interested in using our appreciation calculator to calculate the increase in property value over time.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can you depreciate besides your rental property?

You can only depreciate the building, not the land, of your rental property. But you can also depreciate major improvements over the lifetime of owning that property, for example, replacing the HVAC system.

Can you depreciate a rental property if you purchased it using a loan?

Yes, you can depreciate a rental property that you have a mortgage or loan on as long as you are the owner and it is in your name.

How much can you depreciate a rental property each year?

Typically, rental properties are depreciated over 27.5 years, and you can depreciate up to 3.636% each year. However, be sure to check with your accountant to ensure you are making the proper assumptions.