Should I sell or rent out my house when I PCS from Fort Benning?
Sell if renting won't cover your full monthly cost, if you aren't comfortable being a long-distance landlord, or if you're close to losing your capital gains exclusion. Rent if the house cash-flows at today's Columbus-area rents (a typical 3-bedroom house rents for about $1,025 to $1,650 a month), you can hold 3+ months of reserves, and you'll hire a local manager. If your rental is in Georgia, a 2025 state law (HB 399) requires out-of-state owners to use a Georgia-licensed broker. Run both numbers side by side before your report date. Don't decide on gut feel.
Orders hit, the clock starts, and suddenly you're making a six-figure decision in the middle of out-processing.
I hear some version of this question from Fort Benning families every PCS season: "Do we sell the house or keep it and rent it out?" It's one of the most-asked questions on RallyPoint, MilitaryByOwner, and military finance forums, and most of the answers online are national and generic. Your answer depends on Columbus and Phenix City numbers, Georgia and Alabama rules, and your own plans.
Here's how I walk my clients through it.
Start with the two numbers that decide this
Forget "real estate always goes up" and "renting builds wealth." The decision comes down to two calculations.
1. Your net if you sell. That's sale price minus:
- Your mortgage payoff
- Commissions (negotiable, and worth discussing up front)
- Closing attorney fees and title charges (in Georgia, a closing attorney handles the closing)
- Georgia's real estate transfer tax: $1 per $1,000 of sale price, customarily paid by the seller and filed on the PT-61 (about $265 on a $265,000 sale)
- Prorated property taxes, any repairs or credits you agree to, and any concessions to the buyer
National estimates put total selling costs in the high single digits as a percentage of the sale price. Your number will depend on your price point, your negotiated fees, and how much the buyer asks for after inspection.
2. Your monthly cash flow if you rent. That's realistic rent minus:
- Your full mortgage payment (principal, interest, taxes, insurance)
- Property management: typically 8–12% of monthly rent in Georgia
- A leasing fee each time a new tenant is placed, often 50–100% of one month's rent
- Vacancy (budget at least a month a year)
- Maintenance and repairs (older homes in Midtown or North Columbus will need more than new construction in Harris County)
- Landlord insurance, which costs more than a standard homeowner's policy
If number two is negative, you're paying every month to own a rental. That isn't automatically wrong. But you should choose it on purpose, not slide into it.
What that looks like in Columbus right now
Here's a simplified example. Say you bought a 3-bedroom in North Columbus a few years ago and your full monthly payment is $1,650.
- Market rent for a typical 3-bedroom house in the Columbus metro: roughly $1,300 median (about $1,025 to $1,650 for the middle half of the market, per Rentometer's 2026 data)
- Say your house rents for $1,450
- Management at 10%: minus $145
- Vacancy and maintenance reserve at 10%: minus $145
- Net: about $1,160 coming in against a $1,650 payment, so you're short roughly $490 a month
That's not unusual. One 2026 analysis of military markets found that only about 1 in 5 PCS rentals cash-flow positive, with an average shortfall of around $544 a month.
The flip side: if you bought with a low rate a few years ago, your payment may sit well under market rent, and the math can work in your favor. That's why this has to be run on your house, not on a rule of thumb.
The rules that change the answer
Most of the expensive surprises I see come from these four rules.
The capital gains clock
If you've lived in the home for 2 of the last 5 years, you can generally exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 if married filing jointly, when you sell.
Rent it out too long and you can lose that exclusion. Service members get an important break: if you're on qualified official extended duty at least 50 miles from the home (or living in government quarters under orders), you can suspend the 5-year clock for up to 10 years. That protection ends if you leave active duty or move back within 50 miles.
One more thing many accidental landlords miss: depreciation recapture. When you sell a former rental, the depreciation you were allowed to take is taxed, even if the main exclusion covers the rest of your gain.
Talk with a tax professional about your specific dates. Get this right before you sign a lease, because it's very hard to fix afterward.
Your VA loan and entitlement
Renting out a home you bought with a VA loan is generally fine after a PCS. You certified intent to occupy, you did, and orders moved you.
But the loan stays in place, and the part of your entitlement on that loan stays tied up until it's paid off or the home sells. Depending on your remaining (or "bonus") entitlement and the price point at your next duty station, that can affect whether you buy there with zero down. Ask your lender to run your entitlement before you decide.
Georgia's new out-of-state landlord rule
This one is new, and almost nobody is talking about it locally. Under Georgia House Bill 399 (2025), owners who live out of state and rent out single-family homes or duplexes in Georgia must employ a Georgia-licensed real estate broker, with someone located in Georgia handling tenant communication.
In practice, if your Columbus, Hamilton, or Cataula home becomes a rental after you PCS, plan on professional management from day one, and build that cost into your numbers.
If your home is on the Alabama side, in Phenix City, Smiths Station, or elsewhere in Lee or Russell County, check Alabama's requirements separately. A local manager is still the practical choice when you're 800 miles away. (If you're new to how the two states differ, my cross-state guide to buying in Georgia vs. Alabama breaks down taxes and process on each side of the river.)
State taxes on rental income
Rental income from a Georgia or Alabama property is generally taxable in that state, even after you've moved. Expect to file a nonresident return, and plan for it with your tax preparer.
What the Columbus market is telling sellers right now
Timing matters, especially if you're leaning toward selling.
The Columbus metro has shifted toward buyers this year:
- Active listings were up about 13% year over year as of May 2026 (Redfin)
- Realtor.com's median days on market for the metro rose to 62 days in September 2026, up from 55 a year earlier
- The metro median sale price was about $264,000 in May 2026, roughly flat year over year
What that means for you: give yourself more runway than you'd expect. If your report date is in 90 days, you don't have time to test an aggressive price and cut it later. A price that's right from day one, a home that shows well, and a plan for selling after you've already left (Georgia closing attorneys routinely handle mail-away closings) matter more than they did two years ago. Expect the closing process itself to take another 30–45 days once you're under contract.
A quick, targeted round of prep often pays for itself here. Not a renovation, just the handful of fixes buyers notice when comparing your home to the new construction going up in Harris and Lee Counties.
When renting tends to make sense
- Your payment is at or below market rent, and the numbers work with management fees included
- You have 3–6 months of reserves for vacancy and a surprise HVAC or roof bill
- You're likely to come back to Fort Benning, or you want to hold real estate long-term
- You have little equity, and selling would mean bringing cash to closing
When selling tends to make sense
- Rent won't cover your payment, and you don't want a monthly loss
- You need your VA entitlement or equity for the next purchase
- You're near the end of your capital gains window
- You don't want to manage tenants, repairs, and a property manager from another time zone
Neither choice is wrong. The wrong move is choosing by default because the clock ran out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I rent out my house if I bought it with a VA loan?
Generally, yes. After a PCS, you can rent out a home you bought with a VA loan as long as you originally occupied it as your primary residence. The loan stays in place, and that portion of your VA entitlement remains in use until the loan is paid off or the home sells.
How long can I rent out my house and still avoid capital gains tax?
Normally you need to have lived in the home 2 of the last 5 years at the time of sale. Active-duty members on qualified extended duty 50+ miles away can suspend that 5-year window for up to 10 years. Depreciation recapture still applies, so confirm your dates with a tax professional.
Do I need a property manager to rent out my house in Georgia if I move out of state?
Under Georgia's 2025 House Bill 399, owners who live out of state and rent out single-family homes or duplexes must employ a Georgia-licensed real estate broker. Expect management fees of roughly 8–12% of monthly rent plus a leasing fee for each new tenant.
How much can I rent my house for near Fort Benning?
As of 2026 data, the median rent for a 3-bedroom house in the Columbus, GA–AL metro is about $1,300 a month, with most falling between about $1,025 and $1,650. Your number depends on location, size, condition, and timing.
How long does it take to sell a house in Columbus, GA right now?
Realtor.com's median days on market for the Columbus metro was 62 days in September 2026, plus 30–45 days to close. If you're on PCS orders, plan for at least three to four months from listing to closing.
PCS math isn't one-size-fits-all. The right answer depends on your rate, your equity, your rent potential, and where your career goes next.
Every move in the Chattahoochee Valley has its own costs, deadlines, and fine print, especially when you're deciding whether to sell or keep a home on either side of the river. Book a free 15-minute strategy call and I'll lay out both options for your house, with a seller net sheet next to a realistic rental cash-flow estimate, so you're working from numbers, not guesswork.
About Matt Horne
Matt Horne is a REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker Kennon & Parker, licensed in Georgia and Alabama since 2017 and a member of Coldwell Banker's International President's Circle every year since 2019. He helps buyers and sellers across Columbus, Phenix City, Harris County and Lake Harding make confident real estate decisions, with a focus on new construction, corporate relocation and PCS military moves. Before becoming an agent, he ran his own business and bought, renovated and sold a blighted commercial building in Midtown himself.
This article is general information, not tax, legal, or lending advice. Consult a qualified tax professional, attorney, or lender about your situation.
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