First scenario: I hired a contractor to fix up the front and rear porches on one of my rental properties. This included pressure washing, scraping, replacing rotten boards and painting. The total for the labor + materials was $2,275.
Second scenario: On a different rental property I hired a different contractor to address the crumbling plaster on the exterior foundation wall. it involved replacing missing bricks, removing loose plaster, pressure washing, installing metal mesh, adding new plaster around the whole foundation and sealing. the cost of this work was $4,197.
Would either of these qualify as regular repairs or fall under a safe harbor? or do I need to depreciate?
