My rental property stayed empty for 7 months this year and I paid for the mortgage out of my own pocket how do claim

[MargaretL · Accepted solution]

It depends... if your rental property was still available for rent while empty (for example, you had it advertised), you can still deduct your mortgage interest and real estate tax and other expenses as your rental expenses. 

If the property was not available for rent, then you cannot deduct the expenses as your rental expenses. If that's the case, you can enter the interest (and real estate tax if applicable) as your personal deduction, in the Deductions & Credits>Your Home category as your 2nd home interest.