If a property is available for rent during a given month, but is not rented or used personally, is any utility expense for that period still eligible for the deduction?

[martin-finn]

This would pertain to there still being an electric/gas/water bill to be paid despite no personal or rental usage of the property.

[Carl]

Periods of vacancy between renters is still considered "in service" and expenses are still rental expenses and still deductible as such *PROVIDED* you did not live in the property for one single day during the period of vacancy.

[Carl]

Say a renter moves out on Jun 1st. I spend the next week preparing the property for a new renter and then start advertising Jun 7th. I find a new renter a week later, and that renter moves in July 1st. The property was rented the entire year as far as the IRS is concerned, *PROVIDED* I did not live in that property for one single day during the entire year. So if I rented at $1000/mo for the entire year, with no renter in it for 1 month, then days rented is 365, and my rental income for the year would be $11,000.

[DoninGA · Accepted solution]

If the rental property is available for rent then any utility usage is an expense that can be entered on a Schedule E.