Do Houseboats Pay Property Taxes?


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If you just purchased a houseboat or are considering purchasing one you are probably wondering what your monthly or yearly costs will be for the ownership and upkeep on your new houseboat. 

Knowing the costs associated with your houseboat is not only important when deciding whether you buy one or not but also when figuring out your budget for your houseboat. 

So now to the question at hand, do houseboats pay property taxes? 

No, there are no property taxes that have to be paid on a houseboat unless you own the land where you dock your boat. There are however yearly taxes and fees that you have to pay on your houseboat.

Those costs include, registration, insurance,docking, and more. The registration and docking costs are the closest to a property tax as the registration is normally an annual tax paid to the local government while the docking fees often have a portion that is used to pay property taxes on the marina’s land. 

As with renting a house you don’t actually pay property taxes but those costs are passed on to you by the marina that you dock at or by increased costs for the supplies, fuel, etc. that you buy. 

Unless you live in a state with no sales tax, you will also be required to pay sales tax when you originally purchase your boat. In most states those taxes are paid at purchase and registration costs are yearly while property taxes for a house or land are to be paid yearly. 

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When figuring the costs for the ownership of your houseboat you will have far more to take into account than just the taxes on your houseboat. The amount you spend on dock fees and storage fees for your boat will often be far more expensive than the property taxes that someone pays on their traditional home. 

For most people the dock or storage fees for their boat will be hundreds of dollars monthly if you live in a very busy area for boating. If you live on board your boat year around and are able to just anchor or beach your boat and avoid those fees then you will save a large chunk of money. 

Another expense that many people don’t take into account is the cost of insurance for your boat. There are many companies that insure boats but the premiums will often be much higher than on a house that was purchased at a comparable price. 

When planning to purchase a houseboat you should make sure that you account for all the possible expenses before you make any decisions. 

If you are interested in other monthly costs associated with a houseboat purchase you can read more about houseboat expenses by clicking here. 

Matthew Robbs

I love the outdoors and especially spending time with my family. Whether on a boat or at the beach, my happy place is near the water.

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