Do you have to take depreciation on a rental property?

No, you are not required to depreciate rental property. Sometimes, when a person knows they aren't going to keep the property but a year or two, it may not be to their advantage to depreciate the property as they will have to recapture the depreciation upon selling it. Depreciation is a deduction that you are allowed to take on your tax return in order to reduce your taxable income from this source, but it is not required.