rental prop deduction... I put in about $1700 for cleaning and maintenance but it only took $350. Is there a limit for this category?

[MichaelDC]

Did you rental only a portion of your house or only part of the year? Let me know.

[jsalas2162]

no, it is a room over the garage, detached...I see that it was giving me only partial credit because it was separating how much I spent based on a fixed formula...maybe 80% main house, 20% rental...but that's not always the case.  Can I enter it myself manually?

[MichaelDC · Accepted solution]

Pay close attention to the Let Us Calculate Your Expenses Deductions question below. When you choose No, you will be able to enter the garage expenses using your own direct numbers. There are no strict rules on this as long as you can justify a reasonable method. If your tenant uses the garage say 50% of the time and the area of the rented garage is say 10% of the total area of your home, you could deduct 5% (50% of 10%) of your total electricity bill.

Please feel free to post any additional details or questions in the comment section. 

Go into your TurboTax return. Not sure you're in there? Click on the Take me to my return button.

1.       Search for rentals and then click the "Jump to" link in the search result.

2.       Answer Yes to the question Did you have any rental or royalty income and expenses?

3.       Follow the on-screen instructions as you proceed through the rental and royalties section.

 When you get to the Do any of These Situations apply to This Property  (See the attached screenshot below. Click to enlarge.)

Select I rent out part of my home.

No to Let Us Calculate Your Expense Deductions for You (See the attached screenshot below. Click to enlarge.)