How to report roommate rent if no profit is made?

[stmp]

Hello!

I rent  (do not own) an apartment from my landlord, and am the only person on the rental agreement.

The landlord refuses to acknowledge any other tenants or add anyone else to the rental agreement.

My niece lives with me and pays half of the rent and utilities. We have a joint checking account and send the rent check and pay shared bills from this joint account each month.

Am I required to file Schedule E and claim rental income if no profit is made? Reminder: this is not a property I own, and my niece "roommate" merely pays me enough for us to cover the rent each month.

Any advice or insight much appreciated.

[DoninGA · Accepted solution]

You and your roommate are sharing expenses so there is no requirement for you to complete a Schedule E.

[Carl]

In addition to the previous post, you are not renting out property or a part of any property with the intent of making a profit. So all you have is an expense sharing arrangement. The fact it's being shared by/with a family member/relative further reinforces you're not "in the business" to make a profit. Therefore, nothing has to be reported anywhere on your tax return about this arrangement.