Does it make more sense to call it a rental for a few months during repairs and capture those expenses named above?
If you stopped actively trying to rent the property after the last renter moved out, then you can't call it a rental for the portion of time after that last renter moved out. Now if you did the remodel *and* tried to rent it after the remodel, then it's no problem. For example, if it was advertised as "for sale or rent", then you're fine.
Otherwise, the insurance is pro-rated for the period of time it was a rental. You should also request and get a refund or credit from the insurance company if the property was sold before the end of the insurance term that you paid for.
The other fees since they came due after the date of conversion, do not cover any period of time while the property was classified as a rental. Therefore, they're just flat out not deductible on SCH E.
