Weather your endeavor qualifies as a SCH C business (could, but not common) or a SCH E business, you have absolutely nothing what-so-ever to report about this on your 2021 tax return.
With SCH C, nothing is reported until the tax year you are actually "open for business".
With SCH E, nothing is reported until the tax year the property is "available for rent".
So you have absolutely nothing to report on your 2021 tax return concerning this endeavor.
I do agree that you should seek professional help. Especially if your state taxes personal income. When it comes to rental property, absolute perfection in that first year is not an option..... its a must. Even the tiniest of mistakes can (and will) grow exponentially over time. When you catch the mistake years down the road (usually in the year you sell it) the cost of fixing it *will* be expensive.
You should seek professional help for at least the first year. Then after that if you want you continue reporting it yourself and are confident in doing so, you most certainly can.
