Write offs for your partial rental property

heresheis-111

I own a house I live in & rent a couple rooms out in it. What can I write off for the house? Examples would be a new kitchen floor, housekeeper, yard maintenance/lawnmower, handy man work, ups box for all household members because there is no mail service where I live, and part of the principal of the mortgage.

AlexO

Hello, Heresheis111!

That is a great question!

You can deduct the rental portion of the expenses, which can include mortgage interest, property taxes, maintenance, etc. You cannot directly deduct the mortgage principal payments. Instead, you will claim a deduction for the home itself by depreciating the rental portion of the home.

For additional expenses that may be deductible for your rental, see page 4 of Publication 527.