Whether you've got long-term tenants in Bethesda or short-term Airbnb guests in Adams Morgan — we keep your rental books clean, tax-ready, and compliant with the patchwork of DC, MD, and VA landlord rules.
Every rental dollar has a tax story. Was it rent, deposit, refundable fee, or cleaning passthrough? Did the work you paid for last weekend count as a repair or a capital improvement? Most general bookkeepers don't know the difference. We do — and that difference is what lands on Schedule E (or Schedule C if you're running STR like a business).
Rent collected, late fees, security deposits held vs. forfeited, refundable vs. non-refundable — all categorized correctly so your CPA isn't guessing at year-end.
27.5-year straight-line on residential, separated land/building cost basis, tracked across appliances and major improvements (5-year, 7-year, 15-year). We hand your CPA a ready-to-file depreciation report.
Fixed a leaky faucet? Deductible repair. Replaced the whole bathroom? Capitalize and depreciate. We sort every invoice into the right bucket so you don't get a surprise from the IRS.
Paid your handyman more than $600? You owe them a 1099. We track payments to plumbers, electricians, lawn care, and property managers all year so January isn't a scramble.
MD law requires landlords to keep deposits in a separate interest-bearing account. We reconcile that account separately from your operating books so a tenant dispute doesn't turn into a discovery nightmare.
Three rentals? You get three profit-and-loss statements — so you know which property is actually carrying you and which one is bleeding money.
The 1099-K reports gross — but Airbnb subtracts its host service fees before paying you. We reconcile the gross figure on the 1099-K to your actual deposits and the platform fee deduction, so your Schedule E doesn't over-report income.
DC: 14.95% sales tax on hotels & STRs. VA cities (Alexandria, Arlington): transient occupancy tax 6–8%. MoCo MD: 7%. Airbnb collects some automatically — but not all of them. We reconcile what was collected vs. what you owe.
DC requires an STR license through DLCP (operator must occupy as primary residence). Arlington and Alexandria require zoning permits. MoCo MD requires a transient lodging license. We flag renewal deadlines so you don't lose listings.
Most STR owners file on Schedule E (passive). But if you provide substantial services (daily cleaning, meals, transportation) it becomes Schedule C — and you owe self-employment tax. We help you understand which side of the line you're on.
Cleaning fees charged to guests are income; cleaning fees you pay are an expense. We track both halves separately so the IRS sees the right numbers. Supplies, linens, restocks — all categorized for max deductions.
If you personally use the property more than 14 days/year (or 10% of rental days), it's a mixed-use property with different deduction rules. We track owner-use nights so you don't accidentally trigger reclassification.
If your portfolio crosses borders, your books need to too.
STR license through DLCP (primary residence requirement, 90-night cap for un-hosted bookings). 14.95% sales tax on STR. DC Form D-30 if rental rises to a trade or business. DC bookkeeping →
Transient lodging license, primary residence rule, 7% room rental tax. Security deposit interest accounting required by state law. Bethesda → · Silver Spring →
Arlington and Alexandria require STR registration; transient occupancy tax varies by city (5–8%). BPOL gross-receipts tax applies if rental rises to a business. Arlington → · Alexandria →
Final pricing depends on number of properties, transaction volume, and whether you're also booking through STR platforms. See all plans →
Free 15-minute call. Tell us how many properties, how they're rented, and what's not working — we'll tell you exactly what we'd recommend and give you a straight quote.
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