Free tool from McKee Properties
If you lived in your home as your main residence for at least two years, you can usually rent it out for a while and still exclude up to $250,000 of gain ($500,000 for joint filers who qualify) when you sell, as long as you sell within the five-year window the IRS uses (IRC § 121). This tool estimates when that window closes. Service members on qualifying duty can suspend the five-year period for up to 10 years.
This is a rough date estimate for a simple case: one continuous period living in the home, followed by renting. It does not compute your exclusion or your tax. The rules interact with your facts, so confirm with a tax professional. This is general information, not tax advice. Rules as of October 19, 2026.
What the tool does not cover
- Depreciation. Gain equal to depreciation allowed or allowable after May 6, 1997 cannot be excluded, even if you meet the test. Renting usually means depreciation (IRC § 121(d)(6)).
- Renting before you lived there. Gain allocated to periods after 2008 when neither spouse used the home as a main residence can reduce the exclusion. Time after your last use as a main home, like renting after you move out, does not count against you this way (IRC § 121(b)(5)).
- Multiple periods. The two years do not need to be consecutive. If you lived there in separate stretches, add them up yourself.
Read more in taxes on a Coronado rental and PCS orders: keep and rent, or sell?
Frequently asked questions
How long can I rent out my house and still avoid capital gains tax?
If you owned and lived in the home as your main residence for at least two of the five years before the sale, the exclusion can still apply. In the simplest case, someone who lived there two or more years can rent for up to about three years after moving out and still meet the use test. Depreciation taken while renting is not excludable.
How does the military suspension work?
You can elect to suspend the five-year test period while you or your spouse is on qualified official extended duty, for up to 10 years. That stretches the window in which your two years of use must fall.
Does this tool tell me how much tax I'll owe?
No. It only estimates a date window under the use test. The exclusion amount depends on your gain, depreciation, filing status and other facts, so confirm with a tax professional.
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