How Airbnb deductions work
Airbnb rental income is taxable. The IRS also allows you to deduct ordinary and necessary expenses of operating the rental against that income — reducing the net taxable amount. The rule comes from IRC Section 162 for active business expenses and Section 212 for rental activities.
The catch is documentation. Every deduction you claim needs a receipt, a date, a vendor, an amount, and a clear business purpose. Deductions without records are deductions at risk. The IRS does not require a specific format — but it does require that you can substantiate each one if asked.
If you also use the property personally, you have a mixed-use property and must allocate most expenses between rental and personal use before deducting. We cover that below.
Airbnb tax deductions by category
Cleaning and turnover
Cleaning is one of the most straightforward deductions for Airbnb hosts — and one of the most consistently incurred.
- Professional cleaning service fees
- Cleaning supplies (mops, sprays, gloves)
- Laundry costs for rental linens and towels
- Your own time cleaning (not deductible as a cost, but counts toward participation hours)
- Receipts or invoices from cleaning service
- Receipts for supply purchases
- Note confirming which property the cleaning relates to
Repairs and maintenance
Repairs are fully deductible in the year they occur. Improvements are not — they must be capitalized and depreciated. The distinction is important and not always obvious.
- Fixing a leaking pipe or faucet
- Patching drywall or repainting a room
- Replacing a broken window or lock
- HVAC servicing and minor repairs
- Appliance repairs
- New roof or major structural work
- Kitchen or bathroom renovation
- Adding a room or deck
- New HVAC system installation
- New flooring throughout the property
The IRS has safe harbor rules (under the Tangible Property Regulations) that allow some smaller improvements to be expensed immediately. Your CPA determines which treatment applies.
Supplies and guest amenities
Consumable items provided for guests are fully deductible operating expenses. These are some of the most commonly missed deductions because hosts buy them casually without keeping receipts.
Keep the receipt and note "supplies for [property name]" at the time of purchase. A photo of the receipt in a dedicated folder by property is enough documentation.
Mileage and vehicle expenses
Every trip to your rental property for a business purpose is deductible. The IRS standard mileage rate was 67 cents per mile in 2024 and 70 cents per mile in 2025.
- Driving to inspect or prepare the property
- Meeting cleaners or contractors on site
- Running errands for the property
- Responding to urgent guest issues
- Date and route (origin → destination)
- Miles driven
- Specific business purpose
- Which property the trip relates to
See our full guide to tracking Airbnb mileage for taxes, including a mileage log template and good vs. weak entry examples.
Platform fees and software
Fees you pay to operate the rental are ordinary and necessary business expenses — fully deductible.
Note: Airbnb's service fee is deducted from your gross payout before you receive it. Your 1099-K reports the gross amount. Your deductible fee is the difference — your CPA needs both numbers to file correctly.
Insurance
Insurance premiums paid on the rental property are deductible. If the property is rented full-time, the entire premium is deductible. For mixed-use properties, allocate by rental days.
Mortgage interest and property taxes
These are two of the largest deductions for most hosts — but they require allocation if you use the property personally.
The interest portion of your mortgage payment is deductible as a rental expense — not the principal. Your lender provides Form 1098 showing total interest paid. For mixed-use properties, multiply total interest by your rental use percentage.
Real property taxes paid on the rental are deductible as a rental expense. For mixed-use properties, allocate by rental use days. Note: if you also claim the SALT deduction on Schedule A, you cannot double-deduct the same taxes.
Utilities
Utilities paid for the rental property are deductible in proportion to rental use. For dedicated rentals (100% rental), the full utility cost is deductible. For mixed-use, allocate.
Furniture, appliances, and equipment
Items you purchase for the rental — beds, sofas, TVs, kitchen appliances, outdoor furniture — are deductible. The question is whether you deduct them immediately or depreciate them over time.
Furniture and appliances are generally depreciated over 5–7 years under MACRS. You deduct a portion of the cost each year rather than the full amount in year one. Your CPA sets up the depreciation schedule.
Under Section 179 or bonus depreciation rules, you may be able to deduct the full cost of qualifying property in the year you place it in service — rather than depreciating it over years. Subject to limitations; your CPA determines eligibility.
Keep the purchase receipt and note the date you first used the item in the rental. Both are needed to establish the depreciation start date.
Depreciation on the property itself
The building structure (not the land) can be depreciated over 27.5 years for residential rental property under MACRS. This is often one of the largest deductions available to rental property owners and is frequently overlooked or miscalculated.
Example: A property with a $400,000 building value (excluding land) produces approximately $14,545 in annual depreciation deductions — every year for 27.5 years. This is a non-cash deduction that reduces taxable income without requiring any out-of-pocket spending. A cost segregation study can accelerate this further by reclassifying certain components for faster depreciation.
Note: when you sell the property, depreciation recapture tax applies. Work with your CPA to understand the full picture before relying heavily on depreciation.
Professional services
Fees you pay for professional services related to the rental are deductible.
Home office deduction
If you use a dedicated space in your home exclusively and regularly to manage your Airbnb — responding to guests, handling bookings, tracking expenses — that space may qualify for the home office deduction under IRC Section 280A.
- Used exclusively for rental management
- Used on a regular basis (not occasionally)
- The principal place where you manage the rental
- Proportional share of home mortgage interest or rent
- Proportional share of utilities
- Office furniture and equipment used in the space
The simplified method allows a flat $5 per square foot deduction (up to 300 sq ft). The regular method calculates actual expenses based on the percentage of your home used. The exclusive use requirement is strict — a desk in a shared room generally does not qualify.
Advertising and marketing
Costs of advertising the rental to attract guests are deductible — and these are 100% allocable to rental use even on mixed-use properties, since advertising is specific to the rental activity.
Airbnb tax deductions: complete checklist
Use this as a quick reference when preparing your records for your CPA or filing your Schedule E. Check off every category where you had expenses during the year.
- Cleaning fees and supplies
- Repairs and maintenance
- Guest supplies and amenities
- Platform fees (Airbnb service fees)
- Software and tools subscriptions
- Insurance premiums
- Advertising and listing costs
- Professional services (CPA, attorney)
- Property management fees
- Mortgage interest (rental use portion)
- Property taxes (rental use portion)
- Utilities (rental use portion)
- HOA fees
- Depreciation on building structure
- Depreciation on furniture and appliances
- Capital improvements (depreciated)
- Mileage to and from the property
- Home office (if applicable)
How deductions connect to the STR tax loophole
For most rental property owners, deductions are limited by the passive activity loss rules — losses can only offset other passive income, not your W-2 or business income. This caps how much tax benefit you can actually get from rental deductions in a given year.
Short-term rental hosts who materially participate in their rental activity can escape this limitation entirely. When you qualify for the STR tax loophole, every dollar of rental loss — including depreciation — can offset ordinary income with no cap.
Example: A host with $12,000 in rental income, $18,000 in deductions (including depreciation), and a $6,000 net loss who materially participates can deduct that $6,000 against their salary. Without material participation, that loss sits unused until a future year with passive income to offset it.
This is why tracking your participation hours alongside your expenses matters — they work together to determine how much of your deductions you can actually use.
Mixed-use properties: how to allocate expenses
If you rent the property for part of the year and use it personally for the rest, you cannot deduct 100% of most shared expenses. You must allocate them between rental and personal use.
The standard method: divide rental days by total days of use (rental + personal). Apply that percentage to shared expenses like mortgage interest, property taxes, utilities, and insurance.
Some expenses are 100% allocable to rental use regardless of personal use: cleaning between guests, advertising, and rental-specific costs. Others — mortgage interest, property taxes, utilities — must be split. Keep a precise record of every rental day and personal use day throughout the year.
The 14-day / 10% rule: If your personal use days exceed the greater of 14 days or 10% of rental days, the property is classified as a personal residence for tax purposes — which limits deductions significantly. If you stay under that threshold, it's treated as a rental property with cleaner deductibility. This rule has major implications for how you structure your personal use.
What Airbnb hosts cannot deduct
Not every expense related to the property is deductible. These are the most common items that don't qualify:
Documentation: what every deduction needs
The IRS does not require a specific format, but every deduction must be substantiable. For each expense, you need:
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Date — when the expense was incurred or the service was performed
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Vendor — who you paid
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Amount — what you paid
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Business purpose — why this was a rental expense, noted at the time of purchase
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Property — which rental the expense relates to, if you have more than one
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Receipt — digital or physical, kept for at least 7 years
The easiest approach is to capture the expense at the moment you make it — amount, vendor, and purpose noted on your phone before you leave the store or close the browser tab. Expenses documented in real time are always more credible than those reconstructed from bank statements months later.
See our guide to tracking Airbnb hosting activity for taxes for a complete system covering expenses, mileage, and participation records together.
Frequently asked questions
What can Airbnb hosts deduct on taxes?
Airbnb hosts can deduct: cleaning costs, repairs and maintenance, guest supplies, platform fees, mileage to and from the property, mortgage interest (rental use portion), property taxes (rental use portion), insurance, utilities, depreciation on the building and furnishings, and professional services. Each expense needs a receipt and a documented business purpose.
Can I deduct the full mortgage payment on my Airbnb?
No — only the interest portion is deductible, not the principal repayment. Your lender's Form 1098 shows total interest paid. For mixed-use properties, multiply total interest by your rental use percentage. The principal is never directly deductible as a rental expense.
What is the difference between a repair and an improvement?
A repair restores the property to its original condition and is fully deductible in the year incurred — fixing a leak, patching drywall, replacing a broken appliance. An improvement adds value or extends the property's life — a new roof, full kitchen remodel, or added bedroom. Improvements must be capitalized and depreciated over time. The distinction isn't always obvious; your CPA makes the final call.
Can I deduct furniture I bought for my Airbnb?
Yes — furniture and appliances used in the rental are deductible, either depreciated over 5–7 years under MACRS or potentially deducted in full the year of purchase under Section 179 or bonus depreciation rules. Keep the receipt and note the date you first placed the item in rental service.
What happens if I use my Airbnb personally as well as renting it?
You must allocate shared expenses between rental and personal use based on rental days divided by total use days. Some expenses like advertising and turnover cleaning are 100% rental. Shared expenses like mortgage interest, utilities, and insurance must be split. If personal use exceeds 14 days or 10% of rental days, the 14-day rule kicks in and deductions become more limited.
How long should I keep receipts for Airbnb deductions?
Keep all receipts and expense records for at least 7 years. The IRS generally has 3 years from your filing date to audit a return, and 6 years if it suspects a substantial understatement of income. Records related to property basis and depreciation should be kept for the life of the property plus 7 years after sale.
Track every deduction as it happens
Field Ledger helps Airbnb hosts capture expenses, mileage, and participation hours in a single linked record — so every deduction is documented at the time it occurs, not reconstructed at tax time.
- Expense capture linked to the property visit that caused it
- Mileage log with business purpose per trip
- Participation hours tracked alongside expenses
- Year-end summaries by property, ready for your CPA
Related guides
- Airbnb activity tracker: what to track and how
- How to depreciate your Airbnb property
- Airbnb Schedule E vs Schedule C: which form do you use?
- How to track Airbnb mileage for taxes
- How to track your Airbnb hosting activity for taxes
- How to qualify for the STR tax loophole
- What counts as material participation for a short term rental
- Airbnb material participation log template