STR Property Documentation Services
Organized, room-by-room property documentation prepared for your CPA and cost-segregation engineering firm. Better documentation inputs lead to more efficient studies—and potentially more accurate analysis.
Documentation preparation—not tax advice
When your CPA recommends a cost segregation study for your short-term rental property, the engineering firm conducting that study needs detailed property information to do their work: fixture inventories, photographic documentation, room-by-room breakdowns, appliance and furnishing lists, and more.
Most investors don’t have that documentation organized in a format that engineering firms can use efficiently. Gathering it yourself takes time, and doing it without a framework often results in gaps that slow the study down.
STR Advisors prepares that documentation file using a guided SMS-based photo intake process. You photograph the property on your phone using our room-by-room framework. We organize the output into a structured documentation file formatted for CPA and engineering firm handoff.
✅ What We Prepare
- Room-by-room fixture catalog
- Appliance and furnishing inventory
- Organized property photo documentation
- Land improvement notation
- Formatted handoff package for engineering firm
- CPA-ready summary documentation
❌ What We Don’t Do
- Perform engineering studies
- Assign asset classifications
- Provide tax advice
- Guarantee deductions or tax outcomes
- File tax returns
- Represent clients before the IRS
Bonus depreciation restored to 100% (OBBBA, July 2025)
The One Big Beautiful Budget Act, signed into law in July 2025, restored 100% bonus depreciation under IRC §168(k) for qualified property placed in service after January 19, 2025. This reverses the annual phase-down that had reduced bonus depreciation to 60% in 2024.
For STR investors, this restoration may have significant implications. Cost segregation studies reclassify components of a real property into shorter depreciation life categories (5, 7, or 15 years under MACRS). When combined with 100% bonus depreciation, the reclassified components may be fully deductible in the year the property is placed in service—rather than over 27.5 or 39 years.
What we can do is prepare the property documentation that your CPA and the engineering firm will need to conduct that analysis efficiently. Better documentation leads to a faster and more accurate study.
How our documentation intake works
Submit a Request
Fill out the Cost Seg Packet intake form. Tell us about the property—type, size, when it was placed in service, and whether it’s already operating as an STR.
Receive the SMS Framework
We send you a guided room-by-room photo intake framework via SMS. Walk through each room of the property photographing fixtures, appliances, land improvements, and structural components per the framework.
We Organize the Documentation
Your photos and notes are compiled into a structured documentation file. We catalog fixtures room by room, note appliances and personal property, and identify any land improvement features photographed.
Handoff to Your CPA and Engineering Firm
The completed documentation package is delivered in a format ready for your CPA’s review and for the engineering firm conducting the cost segregation study. You can share it directly or we can coordinate the handoff.
Documentation service options
Documentation Package
Full room-by-room documentation for a single STR property.
- Guided SMS photo intake framework
- Room-by-room fixture catalog
- Appliance and furnishing inventory
- Organized photo set with annotations
- CPA/engineering firm handoff package
Documentation + DSCR Loan
Bundle property documentation with your DSCR loan brokerage for a coordinated process.
- All Standard package items
- Coordinated with loan closing timeline
- Single point of contact for both services
- Useful for properties placed in service post-close
- Priority scheduling
Multi-Property Documentation
Documentation for investors with multiple STR properties to document.
- All Standard package items × per property
- Bulk coordination for 2+ properties
- Consistent format across portfolio
- Contact us for portfolio pricing discussion
Pricing information is provided during the intake process. Submit the Cost Seg Packet form to get started.
Get your Cost Seg Documentation Packet started
Tell us about your STR property. We’ll send you the intake framework and timeline. No site visit required.
- ✓ Remote-capable via guided SMS intake
- ✓ Works with any engineering firm
- ✓ Useful for new acquisitions and existing STRs
- ✓ No tax advice — documentation support only
Cost Seg Documentation Packet
Tell us about your STR property
Documentation services do not constitute tax advice. No deduction is guaranteed. CPA determination required.
Also interested in DSCR financing?
We can coordinate your documentation service with your DSCR loan application for a streamlined process.