shayla
New Member

Principal Residence, Canada

Two questions:

1.)  Am I able to claim Principal Residence?  Context: My brother and I inherited our father's home when he passed away April 2017.  Now in August 2018 the home has finally legally been transferred to both our names, 50/50.  The home has been empty for the past year.  We will not sell it; assumption is we will not owe capital gains since we're not selling.  I will move into home in two years but I spend time there off and on (eg) vacation and some weekends.  I live and work and rent an apartment a few hours away.  (My brother owns his own home which is his principal residence so he can't claim another.)  (Other: For the 2018 property tax year, I didn't claim principal res since it wasn't yet in my name.  I believe we can apply to get at least a portion of the prop tax back as principal residence--do you know, is this correct?)

2.) Chances are we will rent the home out for parts of the next 2-year period before I move into it.  (a) Can it then still be my principal residence while renting it out if answer to #1 above is 'yes' for ppl res?  (b) Assumption is we need to declare rental income.