House Hacking là gì?

House hacking is a real estate investment strategy where a property owner lives in part of the property while renting out the remaining portion to generate income that offsets or covers the mortgage and other housing costs. The most common forms include purchasing a small multifamily property (duplex, triplex, or fourplex), living in one unit, and renting the others; renting out spare bedrooms in a single-family home; and adding an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) or converting a basement or garage into a rentable space.

The primary financial appeal of house hacking lies in the ability to use owner-occupant financing terms — typically a 3% to 5% down payment with a conventional loan, or as little as 3.5% with an FHA loan — rather than the 20% to 25% down payment typically required for investment properties. FHA loans for multifamily properties (up to 4 units) are a particularly popular house hacking tool because they allow investors to enter rental property ownership with minimal capital while benefiting from favorable interest rates.

Beyond financing benefits, house hackers can deduct a proportional share of mortgage interest, property taxes, insurance, repairs, and depreciation on their tax returns — reflecting the rental portion of the property as a business expense. Living on-site also makes property management more hands-on and efficient, reducing vacancy and maintenance costs compared to managing a property remotely.