It’s the end of the tax year and your buy-to-let property has given you a nice profit from its rental income. Now you’ll want to offset the tax on that profit with the buy-to-let allowable expenses you have incurred while renting the property.

So far so good. But you need to make sure that these expenses were wholly and exclusively for the purposes of renting out the property. This means that if an expense wasn’t incurred for the purpose of your property rental you can’t offset the cost against the rental income.

Buy-to-let allowable expenses and non allowable expenses – those expenses you CAN claim a deduction for include:

  • general maintenance and repairs to the property, but not improvements (such as replacing a laminate kitchen worktop with a granite worktop)
  • water rates, council tax, gas and electricity
  • insurance – landlords’ policies for buildings, contents and public liability
    costs of services, including the wages of gardeners and cleaners
  • letting agent fees and management fees
  • legal fees for lets of a year or less, or for renewing a lease for less than 50 years
    accountant’s fees
  • rents (if you’re sub-letting), ground rents and service charges
  • direct costs such as phone calls, stationery and advertising for new tenants
  • vehicle running costs (only the proportion used for your rental business)

Buy-to-let allowable expenses and non allowable expenses – those expenses you CANNOT claim a deduction for include:

  • mortgage interest. You will be given an automatic deduction for this against your tax at basic rate but since 6th April 2020 it is no longer allowable for higher rate tax relief.
  • private telephone calls – you can only claim for the cost of calls relating to your property rental business
  • clothing – for example if you bought a suit to wear to a meeting relating to your property rental business, you can’t claim for the cost as wearing the suit is partly for your rental business and partly to keep you warm – no identifiable part is for your property rental business
  • personal expenses – you can’t claim for any expense that was not incurred solely for your property rental business

Claiming part expenses

You might incur an expense of which only part is for your property rental business. If a definite part of a cost is an expense that is incurred wholly and exclusively for the property business, you can deduct that part.

For More Information

Need help with claiming expenses on your property? Contact THP at one of our offices in Wanstead, SuttonChelmsford, or Saffron Walden. Alternatively, you can reach out to our friendly team by phone or online!

Need further advice on any of the topics being discussed? Get in touch and see how we can help.

    By submitting this form you agree to our Privacy notice and Terms and conditions.
    This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

    Avatar for Jon Pryse-Jones
    About Jon Pryse-Jones

    Since joining THP in 1978, Jon Pryse-Jones has been hands on with every area of the business. Now specialising in strategy, business planning, and marketing, Jon remains at the forefront of the growth and development at THP.

    An ideas man, Jon enjoys getting the most out of all situations, “I act as a catalyst for creative people and encourage them to think outside the box,” he says, “and I’m not afraid of being confrontational. It often leads to a better result for THP and its clients.”

    Jon’s appreciation for THP extends to his fellow team members and the board.  “They really know how to run a successful business,” he says.  He’s keen on IT and systems development as critical to success, and he continues to guide THP to be at the cutting edge and effective.

    Read More
    Join The Conversation
    ICAEW
    Cyber Essentials Plus certification
    Green Mark certification
    Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2024 - Small Organisation
    Sign up for our Newsletter