@Carl @ColeenD3 I'm not suggesting anyone is making anything up, but I am wondering if the canned response accounts for the situation. I think what would help would be siting the section of the official source. If I already have several single-family rental properties, is a new single-family rental property considered a "new business"? If so, it would be considered a start-up cost, correct? If not, then it would be follow the normal rules of expense vs improvement, as it would be for an on-going business, correct?
Even this article states that they would be considered "Start-up costs", assuming this was considered a "new business", which I'm not sure it would be, since I'm in the rental business already. If considered a start-up costs, then a person could deduct up to $5k (assuming you keep startup costs below $50k).
For these type of articles, it would, of course help to site the year the article was written (and site a source), but does point to a book with a Dec 2019 publish date:
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/deducting-expenses-you-incur-before-your-real-estate-busines...
"maintenance costs for a rental property paid for before the property is offered for rent—for example, landscaping and utilities (but not the cost of connecting utilities)"
