You can deduct any reasonable expenses you incur to earn rental income. The two basic types of expenses are current expenses and capital expenses.

For more information on what we consider a current or capital expense, go to Current expenses or capital expenses.

Some expenses you incur are not deductible. For more information, go to Rental expenses you cannot deduct.

If you are modifying a building to accommodate persons with disabilities, buying an older building, or encounter other situations, go to Capital expenses – Special situations.

The following is a list of expenses that are deductible:

• advertising
• insurance
• interest and bank charges
• office expenses
• professional fees (includes legal and accounting fees)
• management and administration fees
• repairs and maintenance
• salaries, wages, and benefits (including employer's contributions)
• property taxes
• travel
• utilities
• motor vehicle expenses
• other rental expenses
• prepaid expenses

Advertising

You can deduct expenses for advertising, including advertising in Canadian newspapers and on Canadian television and radio stations. You can also include any amount you paid as a finder's fee.

Insurance

You can deduct the premiums you pay on your rental property for the current year. If your policy gives coverage for more than one year, deduct only the premiums related to the current year.

Deduct the remaining premiums in the year(s) to which they relate.

Office expenses

You can deduct the cost of office expenses. These include small items such as pens, pencils, paper clips, stationery and stamps. Office expenses do not include capital expenditures to acquire capital property such as calculators, filing cabinets, chairs and a desk. These are capital items.

Professional fees (includes legal and accounting fees)

You can deduct fees for legal services to prepare leases or collect overdue rents.

If you incur legal fees to buy your rental property, you cannot deduct them from your gross rental income. Instead, divide the fees between land and building and add them to their respective cost.

You can also deduct expenses you had for bookkeeping services, audits of your records and preparing financial statements. You may be able to deduct fees and expenses for advice and help to prepare your income tax and any related information returns.

Management and administration fees

You can deduct the amounts paid to a person or a company to manage your property.

You can also deduct amounts paid or payable to agents for collecting rents or finding new tenants.

If you paid commissions to a real estate agent when selling your rental property, include them as outlays and expenses on Schedule 3, Capital Gains (or Losses), when you report the disposition of your property.

Repairs and maintenance

You can deduct the cost of labour and materials for any minor repairs or maintenance done to property you use to earn income. You cannot deduct the value of your own labour.

You cannot deduct costs you incur for repairs that are capital in nature. However, you can claim capital cost allowance.

Salaries, wages, and benefits (including employer's contributions)

You can deduct amounts paid or payable to superintendents, maintenance personnel and others you employ to take care of your rental property. You cannot deduct the value of your own services.

As the employer, you must deduct your part of the following contributions:

• Canada Pension Plan (CPP)
• Quebec Pension Plan (QPP)
• Employment insurance premiums

You can also deduct workers' compensation amounts payable on employees' remuneration and Provincial Parental Insurance Plan (PPIP) premiums. The PPIP is an income replacement plan for residents of Quebec. For details, contact Revenu Québec.

For more information on making payroll deductions, go to Payroll.

You can also deduct any insurance premiums you pay for an employee for a sickness, an accident, a disability or an income insurance plan.

For more information on wages, go to Guide T4001, Employers' Guide – Payroll Deductions and Remittances.

Property taxes

You can deduct property taxes you incurred for your rental property for the period it was available for rent. For example, you can deduct property taxes for the land and building where your rental property is situated. For more information, go to Vacant land and Construction soft costs.

Travel

You can deduct travel expenses you incur to collect rents, supervise repairs and manage your properties.

Travel expenses include the cost of getting to your rental property but do not include board and lodging, which we consider to be personal expenses.

To claim the travel expenses you incur, you need to meet the same requirements discussed in Motor vehicle expenses.

Utilities

You can deduct expenses for utilities, such as gas, oil, electricity, water and cable, if your rental arrangement specifies that you pay for the utilities of your rental space or units.

Prepaid expenses

A prepaid expense is an expense you paid for ahead of time. Under the accrual method of accounting, claim the expense you prepay in the year or years in which you get the related benefit.

Under the cash method of accounting, you cannot deduct a prepaid expense amount (other than for inventory) relating to a tax year that is two or more years after the year the expense is paid. However, you can deduct the part of an amount you paid in a previous year for benefits received in the current tax year. These amounts are deductible as long as you have not previously deducted them.

Forms and publications

• Guide T4036, Rental Income
• Form T776, Statement of Real Estate Rentals
• Interpretation Bulletin IT-417, Prepaid Expenses and Deferred Charges
• Form T2125, Statement of Business or Professional Activities
• Guide T4002, Self-employed Business, Professional, Commission, Farming, and Fishing Income

Related link

• GST/HST rebate for partners