No, If you are not renting at a Fair Rental Value, you can't treat the property as a rental. You can take the mortgage interest and property taxes on Schedule A, as a second home. Any improvements are added to the basis of the home.
Not Rented for Profit
If you don’t rent your property to make a profit, you can’t deduct rental expenses in excess of the amount of your rental income. You can’t deduct a loss or carry forward to the next year any rental expenses that are more than your rental income for the year.
Where to report.
Report your not-for-profit rental income on Schedule 1 (Form 1040), line 8. If you itemize your deductions, include your mortgage interest and mortgage insurance premiums (if you use the property as your main home or second home), real estate taxes, and casualty losses from your not-for-profit rental activity when figuring the amount you can deduct on Schedule A.
