What kinds of rental property expenses can I deduct?
The IRS lets you deduct ordinary and necessary expenses required to manage, conserve, or maintain property that you rent to others. You're allowed to deduct these expenses if your property is vacant, as long as you're trying to rent it.
Expenses are generally deducted in the year you pay them (if you use the accrual method, go here for more info). For example, if a pest-control company serviced your rental in 2025 but you didn't pay them until early 2026, you'd deduct that expense on your 2026 tax return.
Deductible expenses include, but aren't limited to:
Cleaning and cleaning supplies
Maintenance and related supplies
Repairs
Utilities
Insurance
Travel to and from the property
Management fees
Legal and professional fees
Commissions
Taxes and tax return preparation
Lease cancelation costs
Advertising
Real estate taxes
Mortgage interest
Refinance fees and mortgage points are entered in the Assets/Depreciation section instead of the Expenses section. The IRS considers these "amortizable intangibles," which means they must be expenses over the projected life of the asset (or amortized). These don't get expensed or depreciated like tangible assets
Depreciation
Entered in the Assets/Depreciation section instead of the Expenses section
