Rental Property Expenses - Deductible or Not?

Tax Deductible Expenses for Landlords When you let out a property, there will be inevitable items of expenses which are incurred. It is important to understand / know which of these items will be deductible against your rental income for the purpose of UK taxation. Below is a table of those which can and cannot be deducted.  By all means this is not a complete list of every possible expense and each circumstance can be different.

Items Deductible for Rental Properties	Items NOT Deductible for Rental Properties
Book-keeping fees in relation to generating a rental Profit and Loss	Accountancy fees for the preparation of your annual tax return
Letting agent’s fees / management fees	Solicitor / conveyance fees
Service Charges incurred in relation to the property being let out	Stamp duty costs of acquisition
Mortgage interest (subject to capital account caps and new restricted amounts)	Mortgage capital repayments
Replacement of like for like furniture	Enhancement expenditure (such as extensions or items which provide a greater benefit
Repairs (such as repainting the walls)	Any other items of personal expenditure
Gas / water / utility bills paid by the landlord	Trading losses realised elsewhere (such as a sole trade or partnership)
Reasonable travel to and from the rental property for inspections	Any capital expenditure (such as new furniture)
Insurance (buildings, contents and public liability)	Cost of clothing (i.e. purchase of a suit to wear to meetings for your rental property business)
Direct costs such as phone calls, stationery and advertising cost for new tenants	Private phone calls
Legal fees for renewing a lease less than 50 years	Legal fees for renewing a lease of more than 50 years

  Of course, the above is a guide to what you can or cannot deduct against your rental property with some expenses (such as the accountancy fees) providing a grey area for many property tax specialists. In any case, we recommend that you maintain the electronic copy of all the above items to satisfy HMRC’s conditions but also to query any items which are not definitive with your tax specialist as they will be able to review any case law and provide you with an answer as to whether an item is tax deductible or not.