Income generated from rental property can receive the benefit of the Sec. 199A Qualified Business Deduction if your rental business meets the safe-harbor rules established by the IRS earlier this year. If collectively at least 250 hours are spent during the year on "rental services" by you, your employees and your independent contractors, then your rental business may qualify for a QBI deduction of up to 20%!
Under the safe harbor, a “rental real estate enterprise” is treated as a trade or business for purposes of Sec. 199A if at least 250 hours of services are performed each tax year with respect to the enterprise. The IRS says these hours include services performed by owners, employees, and independent contractors and time spent on maintenance, repairs, rent collection, payment of expenses, provision of services to tenants, and efforts to rent the property. However, hours spent in the owner’s capacity as an investor, such as arranging financing, procuring property, reviewing financial statements or reports on operations, and traveling to and from the real estate, will not be considered hours of service for the enterprise.