Rent a houseboat

The benefits of a houseboat

Nature lovers who like to be on and around the water often dream of a houseboat. Not everyone can afford one, but spending a few days or weeks on vacation with it is an affordable endeavor. For some, it is also enough to spend the night on a houseboat in the marina and use it, similar to a holiday apartment, as a starting point for trips.

In both cases, you spend a lot of time on the water and enjoy nature extensively. At the same time, you have all the amenities of an apartment, usually with hot running water and heating or even air conditioning. The interior of the boat is often spacious.

The houseboat in a legal sense

Generally speaking, it is a floating apartment. A houseboat is the motorized, controllable variant. Without a motor, it is a floating system, also known as a floating home. Since the latter are not boats, construction and water regulations apply.

A houseboat up to a length of 24 m is approved as a pleasure boat. From a length of 15 m, an entry must be made in the ship register. In theory, pleasure boats may dock at any private dock and in any port.

You need a berth for your houseboat, which is usually rented.

Although houseboats are habitable, they are not real estate, but are so-called movable. On average, the living space is often between 30 and 80 square meters. Larger is of course possible.

For most navigable routes in Germany, you need an inland pleasure boat license.

Selecting the berth

First of all, prices vary depending on boat equipment. If you can choose between several, pay attention to the position of the sun during the day, the view, possible wave formation and the most frequent wind direction.

Depending on the equipment of your houseboat, the available connections are mooring interesting, such as electricity, drinking water and sewage. Marinas often have their own craftsmen or even an attached shipyard. Large marinas have restaurants, playgrounds, shopping facilities, security services and so on. Not all marinas offer their services year round.

Rent out the houseboat

Renting offers tax benefits, but these only apply if you do not live on the houseboat for more than 10 percent of the year. If it is operated like a holiday home, all operating costs can be tax deducted.

It is up to your time and leisure to decide whether you want to take the rental into your own hands. Anyone who bought the houseboat primarily as a capital investment will probably want little to do with all the organizational things related to renting it out. It is then a good idea to market the houseboat via an appropriate charter service. These usually take care of key handover, laundry change and janitorial service.

Is a houseboat worthwhile as a capital investment?

A houseboat is usually not much cheaper to buy than a holiday home. If you buy the boat used, you may save money, but you will also have to reckon with repairs and modifications. Regular maintenance should be included. As I said, operating costs are deductible. The annual costs of a Houseboat mooring amount to 4000 to 8000 euros.

You can expect rental income of 1000 to 3000 euros per week. In this respect, the question of whether it is worthwhile can be answered clearly in the affirmative.

It's good if you can fully afford the purchase price. Financing is not that easy, as banks usually reject the houseboat as collateral. However, there are banks that specialize in houseboats, and financing through your boat builder may also be possible. In addition, you can borrow an existing property as a substitute. If the houseboat is entered in the ship register due to its size, it is considered as security. Banks expect you to take out boat insurance, which is advisable anyway, for which at least 1000 euros per year must be estimated.

An alternative to financing is a rental purchase through a leasing company.

If the houseboat is intended as an investment, in addition to the size and berth, the boat equipment is also decisive for the possible amount of rental income. So if possible, don't skimp on equipment. Useful considerations in this regard include cooking facilities, sanitary facilities and the supply of electricity. By the way, you have to expect higher energy costs than with a holiday home. A solar system on the roof contributes to low operating costs, sustainability and self-sufficiency.

Calculation examples

conclusion

Renting a houseboat provides good returns and is therefore ideal as a capital investment. The rental can be confidently left to the charter companies.

You are also welcome to use the boat yourself. You may want to move your residence to the boat at some point in the future. Either you then live comfortably close to nature in your home port or travel the world with your mobile home.

The investment deduction amount is an attractive way to reduce your tax burden while investing in modern working capital. It will be particularly interesting if you use the IAB to buy houseboats and yachts that you would like to charter. However, remember that the conditions must be met in order to lawfully claim the deduction amount. Take advantage of this tax incentive and strengthen your company with innovative investments!