By Lauren Hirsch

Nov 30 (Reuters) - Invitation Homes LP, the U.S. rental homes manager owned by private equity firm Blackstone Group LP, has confidentially filed for an initial public offering (IPO) that could come as soon as January and raise as much as $1.5 billion, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Dallas, Texas-based Invitation Homes is the largest U.S. single-family home rental company. Blackstone has invested about $10 billion in the 45,000-home portfolio since founding it in 2012.

Investment banks Deutsche Bank AG and J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. are helping to lead the offering, the source said.

The source asked not to be identified because the plans are not yet public. Blackstone Group LP declined to comment and a representative for Invitation Homes did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Invitation Homes filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the U.S. Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act. Companies with less than $1 billion in revenue can secretly file for an IPO, allowing them to quietly test investor appetite while keeping financials confidential.

Bloomberg first reported the IPO plans earlier this year and the Wall Street Journal reported on the confidential filing earlier on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Lauren Hirsch in New York; editing by Grant McCool)