I rent out my converted garage. I understand the concept of deducting an apportioned amount based on square footage (it's about 21% of my total square footage), but I've also read if you make a repair or improvement that is directly related to the rented room/part of the house, you can deduct or depreciate that cost 100%. Is that true? Example 1: I built a porch off the converted garage that is specifically for my renter's use. Example 2: I fixed a leaky toilet in the rental space.
As a corollary, and depending on the answer to the above, I purchased and installed a new swamp cooler for the house but the vents do not extend to the converted garage. It seems like I shouldn't be able to deduct that since the renter doesn't benefit from it, right? Or can I deduct or depreciate any repairs or improvements to the house at the 21% rate?
