Overview

Tracking every dollar you spend on your short-term rental properties is one of the most important things you can do as an STR host. Accurate expense records serve three purposes: they reduce your taxable income through legitimate deductions, they provide evidence of material participation in your rental activity, and they support a Real Estate Professional Status (REPS) claim if you qualify.

The IRS expects organized, contemporaneous records when you deduct expenses on Schedule E (or Schedule C if you provide substantial services). ArrivHQ gives you a single place to log those expenses, attach receipts, assign them to the correct property, and categorize them using IRS-aligned categories.

How it works

ArrivHQ supports three ways to add expenses. All three create the same expense record. You can filter expenses by source (Manual, Receipt Scan, or Bank Sync) using the Source filter in the filter bar.

Manual entry

Click Add expense in Financials > Expenses, fill in the amount, date, vendor, category, and property. Available on all plans.

AI receipt scanning

Upload a receipt photo or PDF and ArrivHQ uses AI to extract the vendor, amount, date, and category automatically. Available on Host and Portfolio plans. See AI Receipt Scanning for details.

Bank sync

Connect your bank or credit card account through Plaid and import transactions automatically. Imported transactions land in a review queue at Financials > Bank Sync where you review, edit, and approve them as permanent expense records. Available on Host and Portfolio plans. See Bank Sync Overview for the full workflow.

Bank sync is the fastest way to capture recurring expenses -- utilities, cleaning services, supplies, and subscriptions import automatically without any manual entry.

Each expense is timestamped automatically and tied to your account. When you assign an expense to a property, it contributes to that property's financial picture and strengthens your documentation trail for tax purposes.

Limits & requirements

  • Expense tracking is available on all paid plans (Comply, Host, and Portfolio).
  • There is no limit on the number of expenses you can create.
  • Receipt attachments count toward your monthly upload quota (Comply: 30/month, Host: 50/month, Portfolio: 100/month).
  • AI receipt scanning is available on the Host and Portfolio plans. Comply plan users enter expense details manually.
  • Bank sync (Plaid) is available on the Host and Portfolio plans. Up to 3 connected accounts per property.
  • Each attachment file must be under 6 MB. Supported file types are JPEG, PNG, WebP, and PDF.

FAQ

Why should I track expenses in ArrivHQ instead of a spreadsheet? ArrivHQ timestamps every entry, ties it to a specific property, and stores receipt images alongside the record. This creates the kind of contemporaneous, organized documentation the IRS expects. Spreadsheets lack built-in receipt storage, audit trails, and IRS-aligned categorization.

Do I need to assign every expense to a property? No. Property assignment is optional. However, assigning expenses to properties strengthens your per-property deduction documentation and helps you see accurate profit-and-loss figures for each rental.

What expense categories does ArrivHQ use? ArrivHQ uses 15 categories aligned with IRS Schedule E line items, including Advertising, Auto & Travel, Cleaning & Maintenance, Insurance, Mortgage Interest, Repairs, Supplies, Taxes, Utilities, and more. Each category has subcategories for finer classification. See Expense Categories for the full list.

Can I link an expense to a specific reservation? Yes. When creating or editing an expense, you can optionally select a reservation. This is useful for tracking per-stay costs like cleaning fees or guest supplies.

What happens to my expenses if I cancel my subscription? Your data is retained but becomes read-only until you resubscribe to a paid plan.