--- title: "Track Others' Hours for the STR Loophole" description: "To qualify for the 100-hour test, you must exceed everyone else's hours. 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Track the specific person who handles your property. In large PM companies, multiple people might touch your account—each individual's hours are counted separately." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do I need exact hours or estimates?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Estimates are acceptable as long as they're reasonable and documented. The IRS doesn't expect GPS tracking of your cleaner—they want good-faith estimates with supporting logic." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What if I use Airbnb's co-host feature?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Your co-host's hours count as another individual. If they handle messaging and you handle everything else, you need to exceed their message-handling time." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can I ask my PM to work fewer hours?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "You can restructure the relationship so they do less (and you do more). But don't ask them to lie about their hours—that's fraud." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What about the cleaning company owner vs. the actual cleaner?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Track the person doing the work. If Maria cleans your property every time, track Maria's hours—not the company owner who never sets foot in your rental." } } ] } ] --- New: Hospitable sync is live. Auto-capture your guest communication hours. Hospitable sync is live. [Learn more →](/blog/hospitable-sync-live) [![STR Loophole](/_next/static/media/logo.2db75674.png)](/) [Features](/#features)[Pricing](/#pricing)[Calculator](/calculator)[Hospitable](/blog/hospitable-sync-live)[About](/about) Learn [Log in](https://app.strhours.com/auth)[iOS](https://apps.apple.com/app/id6759050584)[Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.agentsinvest.strloophole)[Sign Up Free](https://app.strhours.com/auth) 1. [](/) 2. [Blog](/blog) 3. How to Track Others' Hours for the STR Loophole Time Tracking # How to Track Others' Hours for the STR Loophole Last updated: January 2026 · 7 min read Jennifer Beadles January 26, 2026 · 7 min read Share: [](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=How%20to%20Track%20Others'%20Hours%20for%20the%20STR%20Loophole&url=https%3A%2F%2Fstrhours.com%2Fblog%2Ftracking-others-hours-str-loophole)[](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fstrhours.com%2Fblog%2Ftracking-others-hours-str-loophole)[](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstrhours.com%2Fblog%2Ftracking-others-hours-str-loophole) ![How to Track Others' Hours for the STR Loophole](/assets/blog/tracking-others-hours.jpg) The 100-hour test has two parts that must both be satisfied: you participated for at least 100 hours, and no other individual participated more than you did. Most investors focus on the first part. The second part is what trips up their audit defense. If you use the 100-hour test to qualify for the [STR loophole](/str-loophole), you need to know how many hours your property manager, cleaners, and co-hosts are putting in. Not just approximately. Specifically enough to demonstrate — with documentation — that you exceeded everyone. > - The "more than anyone else" requirement compares you to individuals, not companies. > - Property managers, cleaners, co-hosts, and even contractors with significant on-site time all count. > - You don't need exact hours — reasonable documented estimates work. > - If you can't confidently exceed your PM, target the [500-hour safe harbor](/blog/100-hours-vs-500-hours-str-loophole) instead. ## Who Counts as a "Participant" For the purposes of Test 3, a participant is any individual who provides services with respect to the activity during the tax year. This includes: - Property managers - Individual cleaners or housekeepers - Co-hosts (including Airbnb co-hosts listed on your account) - Maintenance contractors who spend significant time at the property - Family members who work on the rental It does not include: entities (the company as a whole), investors who merely review financials without providing operational services, or professionals like your accountant whose services relate to the investment rather than operations. **The individual-level rule is critical.** If your property management company employs a team and multiple people touch your account, you compare your hours to each person individually — not to the company's collective hours. Your designated property manager at a large PM company might only log 60-80 hours on your property personally, which is much easier to exceed than the company's aggregate. ## How to Track Your Property Manager's Hours **Option 1: Request hour reports directly.** Many PMs will provide time logs or monthly activity summaries on request, especially if they understand why you're asking. Some PM software automatically generates these reports. Ask at the start of the year, not at tax time. **Option 2: Estimate based on tasks.** If your PM won't or can't provide exact hours, build your own estimate using the tasks they perform: - Guest messaging: estimate average time per message × average daily message volume × days per year - Pricing updates: estimated time per adjustment × frequency - Turnover coordination: time per turnover × annual turnovers - Maintenance coordination: average time per issue × annual issue frequency - Property inspections: time per visit × frequency Document your methodology and keep it conservative. If you estimate your PM spends 80-100 hours, treat 100 hours as your benchmark. **Option 3: Restructure the relationship.** If your PM handles too many high-hour activities for you to compete, see our guide on [using the STR loophole with a property manager](/blog/str-loophole-property-manager) for strategies to retain the hours-heavy tasks yourself. ## How to Track Cleaner Hours This is the most straightforward calculation because turnover cleaning is highly regular and predictable. Formula: **Total cleaner hours = Number of turnovers × Average hours per clean** If you have 48 turnovers per year and each cleaning takes 2.5 hours, your cleaner's total is 120 hours. You need to exceed 120 hours. If the math shows one cleaner will exceed your hours, consider the [cleaner rotation approach](/blog/cleaner-rotation-100-hour-hack): split turnovers between two or three different cleaners or cleaning companies so no single individual accumulates a high total. Keep a record of each turnover: date, cleaner or company, and duration. Your payment records (checks, Venmo, Zelle payments) corroborate this indirectly. ## How to Track Co-Host Hours If you use an Airbnb co-host or informal arrangement with a friend or family member: - Estimate their hours based on the tasks they handle — guest messaging, check-in coordination, property visits, etc. - Keep a record of what they're responsible for and approximate time per task. - If they handle a significant portion of guest communication, make sure your total for other activities exceeds their messaging time. Your co-host's hours are particularly important because guest communication is one of the largest time consumers for STR operations. If your co-host handles all messaging and you handle everything else, verify the math works in your favor. ## Documenting Others' Hours You don't need to produce a signed time report from your cleaner. But you do need something more than "I think I spent more time than they did." A defensible approach: - Keep a spreadsheet listing each service provider, the tasks they're responsible for, and your estimated hours per month. - Document your methodology (e.g., "42 turnovers × 2.5 hours per clean = 105 cleaner hours for Cleaning Services A"). - Save payment records that corroborate the level of service. - Get written estimates from your PM if possible — an email or contract specifying services and approximate time is helpful. If you're ever audited, the IRS wants to see that you applied reasonable effort to evaluate others' hours, not that you have perfect data. A documented, logical estimate based on actual service patterns is what "reasonable" looks like. ## When to Choose the 500-Hour Test Instead If you genuinely cannot exceed your property manager's hours — because they manage the property extensively and you have limited involvement — targeting the [500-hour safe harbor](/blog/100-hours-vs-500-hours-str-loophole) eliminates the comparison problem entirely. At 500 hours, you only need to document your own participation. The comparison requirement disappears. The tradeoff is that 500 hours requires roughly 10 hours per week, which is a significant time commitment alongside a full-time job. ## Spouse Hours and the Comparison If you file jointly, [your spouse's hours count toward your total](/blog/spouse-hours-str-loophole). Combined hours from both spouses are compared against each other individual's hours. This means a 200/200 split between spouses (400 combined) easily exceeds a property manager with 120 hours. The Bottom Line: Tracking others' hours doesn't need to be complicated. Use reasonable estimates, document your methodology, and aim to clearly exceed everyone involved. Ready to see if you qualify? [Try the free STR loophole calculator →](/calculator) ### Start Tracking Your Hours Today STR Loophole makes documentation effortless. Sign up free on the web, then log from your desk or the mobile app — everything syncs. [Sign Up Free](https://app.strhours.com/auth) ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What if my PM works for a company? ### Do I need exact hours or estimates? ### What if I use Airbnb's co-host feature? ### Can I ask my PM to work fewer hours? ### What about the cleaning company owner vs. the actual cleaner? ## Related Articles [How Many Hours Do You Need for the STR Loophole? ](/blog/how-many-hours-str-loophole)[Can You Use the STR Loophole With a Property Manager? ](/blog/str-loophole-property-manager)[What Activities Count Toward STR Material Participation? ](/blog/what-activities-count-str-material-participation)[100 Hours vs 500 Hours: Which STR Loophole Test Should You Use? ](/blog/100-hours-vs-500-hours-str-loophole) #### Table of Contents - [Who Counts as a "Participant"](#who-counts-as-a-participant) - [How to Track Your Property Manager's Hours](#how-to-track-your-property-managers-hours) - [How to Track Cleaner Hours](#how-to-track-cleaner-hours) - [How to Track Co-Host Hours](#how-to-track-co-host-hours) - [Documenting Others' Hours](#documenting-others-hours) - [When to Choose the 500-Hour Test Instead](#when-to-choose-the-500-hour-test-instead) - [Spouse Hours and the Comparison](#spouse-hours-and-the-comparison) - [Frequently Asked Questions](#frequently-asked-questions) - [Related Articles](#heading-14) ### Run Your Numbers Use our free STR loophole calculator to estimate your tax savings. [Try the Free Calculator](/calculator) [![STR Loophole](/_next/static/media/logo.2db75674.png)](/) Track your hours. Qualify for the loophole. Our Other Tools [REPS Time — Track your 750 REPS hours](https://repstime.com)[Kids Payroll — Pay your kids in your business](https://kidspayroll.com) Product - [Features](/#features) - [Calculator](/calculator) - [Download](/download) Company - [About Us](/about) - [Blog](/blog) - [STR Loophole Guide](/str-loophole) - [Support](/support) - [Contact](/contact) - [Privacy Policy](/privacy) - [Terms of Service](/terms) - [Delete Account](/delete-account) Popular Articles - [How Many Hours Do You Need?](/blog/how-many-hours-str-loophole) - [STR Loophole vs REPS](/blog/str-loophole-vs-reps) - [The 100-Hour Test Explained](/blog/the-100-hour-test-str-loophole) - [The 7-Day Rule Guide](/blog/7-day-rule-str-loophole) - [Cost Seg + STR Loophole](/blog/cost-segregation-str-loophole) - [Using the STR Loophole with a PM](/blog/str-loophole-property-manager) © 2026 STR Loophole. All rights reserved. STR Loophole is not a tax advisor. Consult a qualified CPA.