Step one
Tell us about the unit or building
Address, number of units, occupancy, HOA or management details and anything owed. A specialist reviews it and calls back, usually the same day.
Donate a condo or apartment building to charity, occupied or vacant
Condo and apartment specialists: (888) 228-7320
Donate a Condo or Apartment Building to Charity
Real Estate with Causes accepts donated condominiums, townhomes, vacation condos, fourplexes and small apartment buildings nationwide, with tenants in place or empty. We prepare and record the deed and deal directly with the HOA or management company. A condo donation is a gift rather than a sale, so there is no listing, no showings and no closing.
Tell us about the property
Every property gets a look. Name, phone and email are the only required fields.
Fully IRS Compliant
We Handle the Paperwork
Form 8283 Done Right
501(c)(3) Recognized Charity
How donating a condo or apartment building works
The extra party in a condo gift is the association. We handle that conversation, and the rest of the sequence is the same as any property.
Step two
We clear it with the HOA and record the deed
We request the association’s documents and any approval or right of first refusal it requires. Our staff prepares the deed and records it in the county.
Step three
The dues and the tenants become ours
From the recording date, HOA dues, taxes, insurance and landlord duties are ours. You receive a written acknowledgment and, where required, a signed Form 8283.
Selling a condo or rental building versus donating it
Condos and small rentals carry monthly costs that do not stop while a listing sits. This is how the two routes compare.
| Selling the property | Donating the property | |
|---|---|---|
| Time to be done with it | Listing, showings, buyer financing and, for condos, lender approval of the building itself, which can stall a sale. | No listing and no buyer financing. The HOA document request is usually the longest step. |
| What you pay | Agent commission, seller closing costs, HOA transfer and resale-certificate fees, and dues until closing. | No escrow, no closing and no commission. The qualified appraisal is your expense and your choice of appraiser. Unpaid dues or back taxes are usually the donor’s, though we sometimes absorb them where the numbers support it. |
| Special assessments | Buyers discount heavily for an assessment coming due, or ask the seller to pay it in full. | Tell us about it. An assessment is a property fact we look at alongside value, not a reason to stop. |
| Tenants in place | Many buyers want units delivered empty, which means notice periods or waiting out leases. | Leases transfer with the property and we take over as landlord. |
| Tax outcome | Capital gains on appreciation, and recapture on depreciation taken if the unit was rented. | A charitable deduction reported on Form 8283, generally fair market value for property held more than a year, limited to 30% of AGI, subject to the depreciation rules for rentals. |
| Where the value goes | To you, less commission, closing costs and tax. | To our charitable programs, less the cost of the transfer and the sale. |
We do not provide tax or legal advice. Deduction outcomes depend on holding period, property type, use and a qualified appraisal. See IRS Publication 526, Publication 561 and the Form 8283 instructions, and consult your own advisor.
The kind of building sets the plan
Six situations we see constantly with condos and small multifamily. Find the one closest to yours.
The tax deduction for donating a condo or apartment building
The core rules match any appreciated real estate. Rentals add depreciation, and a unit you lived in may be treated differently.
How the deduction is calculated
For a unit or building held more than a year, the deduction is generally fair market value as established by a qualified appraisal, limited to 30% of adjusted gross income, with a five-year carryforward. Electing the 50% limit means deducting your basis instead.
Appraisal and documentation
Above $5,000 the IRS requires a qualified appraisal and Form 8283 Section B, signed by the appraiser and acknowledged by us. Above $500,000 the appraisal is attached to your return. The appraiser is your choice and your expense.
Rentals and mortgages
Depreciation taken on a rental can reduce the deduction. A remaining mortgage makes the gift a bargain sale, with gain to you on the debt portion. Neither rules a donation out; both change the arithmetic.
Condo and apartment donation questions, answered
Does the HOA have to approve a condo donation? +
Some associations require approval or hold a right of first refusal on any transfer, and some do not. We request the governing documents and handle that step with the association directly. It usually adds a few weeks rather than changing whether the gift can happen.
I am behind on HOA dues. Can I still donate the condo? +
Reviewed, not refused. Unpaid dues are usually a lien on the unit, so they have to be addressed before or at transfer, and what matters is whether the amount owed is well below what the unit can sell for. Tell us the balance and we will tell you where you stand.
There is a special assessment coming. Who pays it? +
Assessments already levied are generally owed by whoever owns the unit when they come due, so timing matters. Tell us the amount and schedule and we will work out with you how it is handled in the gift.
Can I donate one unit in a building I own several units in? +
Yes. Each condominium unit is separately deeded and can be donated on its own. If the units are held together in an LLC, the LLC makes the gift, and your advisor should confirm how that is reported.
What happens to my tenants when you receive the building? +
Leases transfer with the property and stay in force. We take over as landlord, including security deposits, and tenants are notified of the new owner and where to pay rent. Nothing about their tenancy changes because of the donation.
Not a condo or apartment? We take these too
Eight other property classes, each with its own transfer rules and its own page.
Tell us about the unit or building and we will review it
Send the address, the HOA or management company and what is owed, and we will tell you plainly whether a donation works.