You bought a rental property in Jacksonville because the numbers made sense — positive cash flow, appreciation, wealth building. Then reality set in. The midnight maintenance calls, the tenant who stopped paying rent in month four, the $9,000 roof replacement you didn’t budget for, the insurance premium that doubled. At some point, the spreadsheet that justified the purchase stopped matching the bank account that absorbs the costs.
If you’re a Jacksonville landlord who’s done — genuinely done — here’s a clear-eyed look at your options for getting out, what each path costs, and how to make the decision that puts the most money in your pocket with the least friction.
The Real Cost of Landlording in Jacksonville in 2026
Before deciding to sell, it helps to quantify what your rental property is actually costing you. Many landlords track rent income but undercount expenses. Here’s a realistic annual expense breakdown for a typical Duval County single-family rental valued at $200,000:
| Expense | Annual Cost |
|---|---|
| Mortgage (P&I on $140K at 6.5%) | $10,620 |
| Property taxes (1.01% of assessed value) | $2,020 |
| Property insurance | $2,800-$4,200 |
| Maintenance/repairs (1-2% of value) | $2,000-$4,000 |
| Vacancy (1 month/year average) | $1,300-$1,500 |
| Property management (if applicable, 8-10%) | $1,440-$1,800 |
| Total annual cost | $20,180-$24,140 |
Against annual rental income of $15,600-$18,000 (at $1,300-$1,500/month), the math produces cash flow of -$2,140 to -$6,540 before accounting for capex reserves. Many Westside and Northside landlords running these numbers in 2026 discover their “investment” is actually a monthly expense.
Even landlords without a mortgage face the same expense creep. Insurance premiums in Duval County have risen 30-50% since 2022 — a policy that cost $1,800 three years ago now runs $2,700-$3,400. Property taxes have climbed with assessed values. And a single major repair — a failed HVAC system ($6,000-$12,000), a full reroof ($8,000-$15,000), or a plumbing repipe ($4,000-$10,000) — can wipe out two years of cash flow in a single invoice.
The Tenant Problem
For many Jacksonville landlords, the tipping point isn’t the financial math — it’s the tenants. Florida’s landlord-friendly eviction laws (Florida Statute 83) allow for relatively quick non-payment evictions (2-4 weeks in Duval County), but “quick” still means:
- 3-day notice to pay or vacate (the legally required first step)
- Filing an eviction complaint with the Duval County Clerk ($185 filing fee plus $10 per summons)
- Tenant’s 5-day response period after service
- Eviction hearing (if the tenant contests — which about 30% do in Duval County)
- Writ of possession (executed by the Duval County Sheriff’s Office, typically 24-48 hours after the judgment)
Add in attorney costs ($500-$1,500 for a routine eviction), lost rent during the process ($1,300-$1,800), and the turnover/repair costs after the tenant vacates ($1,500-$5,000 for cleaning, patching, and paint — significantly more if there’s damage), and a single bad tenant experience costs $4,000-$9,000.
If you’ve been through that cycle twice, you’ve spent $8,000-$18,000 on tenant issues alone. At that point, the theoretical long-term appreciation of the property starts to feel a lot less compelling.
Selling With Tenants in Place
The biggest logistical hurdle for landlords wanting to sell is the existing tenant situation. Your options depend on the tenancy:
Month-to-month tenant
In Florida, you can terminate a month-to-month tenancy with 15 days’ written notice before the end of any monthly period. You don’t need a reason — the notice is sufficient. This gives you the option to vacate the property before listing it.
However, vacating means losing rental income during the sale process. If you list traditionally, that’s 2-4 months of vacancy ($2,600-$7,200 in lost rent). A cash sale with the tenant in place — where the buyer takes over the tenancy — avoids that income gap entirely.
Tenant on a lease
If your tenant has an active lease, you can’t terminate it just because you’re selling. Under Florida law, the lease transfers with the property — it’s attached to the real estate, not the landlord. The buyer steps into your shoes as landlord and must honor the remaining lease terms.
This creates a challenge for traditional sales: most owner-occupant buyers don’t want to purchase a home with a tenant in it. You’re limited to selling to other investors. With a cash buyer who specifically purchases rental properties, the tenant-in-place isn’t a problem — it’s expected.
Problem tenant (non-paying, damaging, or in eviction)
This is the hardest situation to sell through traditional channels. No agent wants to list a property with an active eviction. No lender wants to finance a purchase where the occupant may resist vacating. And the property may have damage that makes it difficult to show.
We buy properties in exactly this condition. If you have a non-paying tenant, a tenant in active eviction, or a tenant who’s caused damage, we take on the situation as-is. You don’t need to complete the eviction, fix the damage, or deal with the tenant further. We handle everything after closing.
The Tax Implications: What Jacksonville Landlords Need to Know
Selling a rental property triggers tax consequences that don’t apply to selling your primary residence. The two main taxes are:
Capital gains tax
If you sell for more than your adjusted cost basis (purchase price plus improvements, minus depreciation taken), you owe capital gains tax on the profit. For a property held more than one year, the federal rate is 0%, 15%, or 20% depending on your income level. Florida has no state income tax, so there’s no state capital gains.
Example: You bought a Jacksonville rental for $120,000 in 2015, made $20,000 in improvements, and took $35,000 in depreciation deductions over 10 years. Your adjusted basis is $120,000 + $20,000 - $35,000 = $105,000. If you sell for $200,000, your gain is $95,000.
Depreciation recapture
The $35,000 in depreciation you deducted from your income taxes over the years gets “recaptured” when you sell. Depreciation recapture is taxed at a flat 25% federal rate — regardless of your income bracket. On the $35,000 example, that’s $8,750 in depreciation recapture tax alone.
The 1031 exchange option
A 1031 exchange allows you to defer both capital gains and depreciation recapture by reinvesting the sale proceeds into another qualifying investment property. The rules are strict:
- You must identify a replacement property within 45 days of closing
- You must close on the replacement within 180 days
- You must use a qualified intermediary to hold the funds (you can’t touch the money directly)
- The replacement property must be equal or greater in value
If you’re done with landlording — truly done — a 1031 exchange just kicks the tax liability down the road while putting you back into another investment property. For landlords exiting the rental business entirely, it may make more sense to pay the taxes and invest the remaining proceeds in a diversified portfolio with zero management headaches.
Consult a CPA before making this decision. The tax implications are specific to your situation, and the numbers matter.
Your Selling Options: Compared
Traditional listing with an agent
Pros: Maximum exposure, potentially highest gross sale price
Cons: 6% agent commissions ($12,000 on a $200,000 Westside rental), 2% closing costs, 3-6 month timeline, need to vacate the tenant or limit to investor buyers, repair/staging costs, showing logistics
Best for: Properties in good condition, in desirable locations, with no tenant complications
FSBO (For Sale By Owner)
Pros: Save the 3% listing commission
Cons: You manage everything — marketing, showings (potentially while a tenant is living there), negotiations, contracts. Buyer’s agent commission (3%) likely still applies. Read our full FSBO comparison guide for the detailed breakdown.
Best for: Landlords with time, experience, and a cooperative (or vacated) tenant
Cash sale to a direct buyer
Pros: Close in 7-14 days, sell with tenants in place (paying, non-paying, or in eviction), zero commissions, zero closing costs, zero repair investment, zero showings. Property transfers as-is.
Cons: Gross sale price below retail market value. The discount covers the buyer’s renovation costs, carrying costs, and risk.
Best for: Landlords who want out — fast, clean, and with certainty. Properties with deferred maintenance, tenant issues, code violations, or any condition that makes a traditional sale impractical.
When to Sell vs. When to Hold
Not every frustrated landlord should sell immediately. Here’s a framework:
Sell if:
- The property generates negative cash flow after all real expenses
- You’ve had two or more bad tenant experiences in the past three years
- Deferred maintenance has accumulated past the point where you’re willing to invest
- The property has code violations or municipal liens
- You’re managing from out of state and the management costs eat your returns
- Your equity is better deployed in investments that don’t require active management
- Landlording is affecting your quality of life, sleep, or relationships
Hold if:
- The property still generates genuine positive cash flow (after honest accounting)
- You have a reliable, long-term tenant and the property is in good condition
- You’re in a high-appreciation area (like Riverside or the Beaches) where the growth trajectory is strong
- Selling would trigger significant capital gains that you can’t offset or defer
- You have a capable property manager and the property runs itself
For the Jacksonville neighborhoods investors are targeting in 2026, read our neighborhood investment breakdown to see where your property fits in the current market.
How to Get Out Clean
If you’ve decided to sell, here’s the fastest path:
- Get a cash offer: Fill out the form or call (904) 555-0147. We’ll pull your property records from the Duval County Property Appraiser and ask a few questions about the tenant situation and property condition.
- Review the numbers: Within 24 hours, you’ll have a written cash offer. We’ll show you the breakdown: offer price, minus your mortgage payoff, minus any liens or back taxes = your net proceeds.
- Decide: No pressure, no deadline (our offers are typically valid 30 days). Compare the cash offer to the traditional sale scenario after commissions, closing costs, repair investments, and the time cost of continued landlording.
- Close: Pick your date. We close at a local Jacksonville title company. If there’s a tenant, we take over the tenancy. If the property has deferred maintenance or damage, we handle it. You walk away with a wire transfer and zero remaining landlord obligations.
The Bottom Line
Being a landlord in Jacksonville was a solid investment strategy for years — and for some properties and some owners, it still is. But the economics have shifted. Insurance costs have doubled. Property taxes have risen. Maintenance costs keep climbing. And the management burden hasn’t gotten any lighter.
If you’re holding onto a rental property out of inertia, sunk cost fallacy, or the hope that things will get better — run the numbers honestly. Calculate your actual annual return including all expenses, vacancy, and your own time. If the answer isn’t compelling, selling may be the best investment decision you make this year.
Get a no-obligation cash offer and see what walking away looks like. The number might surprise you — and not in the way you’d expect.