Tracking Rental Property Expenses: All IRS-Deductible Categories
All rental property expenses in Estavo are debit transactions, assigned to one of 15 IRS Schedule E categories. Every dollar you spend on repairs, utilities, insurance, mortgage interest, management fees, advertising, or supplies goes into the Money ledger as a debit — correctly categorized for Schedule E reporting from the moment you enter it.
This is the core difference between Estavo and generic expense apps: you don’t have to recategorize at tax time. The categories are already the IRS’s categories.
How to Record an Expense
Go to Money → Add transaction
Or log the expense directly from a maintenance work order via Work → [Request] → Log expense — this links the cost to the work order automatically.
Select the unit or property
When to attach to a unit:
- Repairs inside a specific apartment or unit
- Cleaning costs after a tenant moves out
- Supplies purchased for a specific unit
When to attach to the property:
- Mortgage payment (covers the whole building)
- Property insurance premium
- HOA fees
- Property tax
- Shared roof or structural repairs
If an expense is for one specific unit, attach it to that unit. If it benefits the whole property, attach it to the property. This keeps per-unit P&L accurate.
Set direction to Debit
Fill in the details
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Amount | What you paid — positive number, no $ symbol |
| Date | When you paid it (cash-basis accounting: the payment date, not the invoice date) |
| Category | IRS Schedule E category — see the category guide below |
| Vendor | Optional — type the vendor name to link to your vendor list |
| Description | What the expense was for: “HVAC repair – Unit 2”, “November electric bill” |
| Receipt | Optional — attach a photo or PDF |
Save
Choosing the Right Expense Category
The most important decision when recording an expense is the category. This directly affects your Schedule E report.
| What you’re paying for | Use this category | IRS Line |
|---|---|---|
| Plumber, electrician, HVAC tech, appliance repair | Repairs | 14 |
| Post-checkout cleaning, pool/spa service, lawn care, pest control | Cleaning and maintenance | 7 |
| Property insurance premium (homeowners, flood, liability) | Insurance | 9 |
| Electric, gas, water, propane, internet, trash | Utilities | 17 |
| Airbnb/VRBO commission, co-host fees, leasing agent commission | Commissions | 8 |
| Property management company monthly fee | Management fees | 11 |
| Mortgage interest paid to lender | Mortgage interest | 12 |
| HELOC interest, hard money loan interest | Other interest | 13 |
| Property taxes, transfer taxes | Taxes | 16 |
| Attorney fees, CPA fees, HOA legal fees | Legal and professional | 10 |
| Mileage to properties, travel for inspections | Auto and travel | 6 |
| Listing photography, signage, vacation rental marketing | Advertising | 5 |
| Cleaning supplies, light bulbs, small hardware, batteries | Supplies | 15 |
| HOA fees, home warranty, anything else | Other | 19 |
| Capital improvements (large projects — ask your CPA) | Repairs (then flag for CPA) | 14 |
Repairs vs. capital improvements: Routine repairs are fully deductible in the year paid. Capital improvements (adding value, extending useful life) must be depreciated over years. When in doubt, record under Repairs and add a note for your CPA: “New roof — confirm repair vs. capitalization.” The IRS distinguishes these differently depending on cost, nature, and circumstances.
Expenses from Obligations: Don’t Re-enter Them
If you’ve set up obligations for mortgage, insurance, and utilities, Estavo already generated draft transactions for those recurring expenses. Don’t add them manually — just confirm the drafts in Money → filter Status: Draft.
Manual expense entry is for one-off costs: a repair invoice, a cleaning fee, a supply run, a contractor payment.
Attaching Receipts
When adding or editing a transaction, click Attach receipt to upload a photo or file.
On mobile: Tap Take photo to capture a receipt with your camera right from the field — no scanning required. The Estavo PWA handles camera access without an app download.
On desktop: Click and upload from your files, or drag and drop.
Receipts are stored in S3-compatible storage with 15-minute presigned URLs — they’re never publicly accessible.
Logging a Repair Expense from a Work Order
For maintenance expenses that came from a tracked work order:
- Open Work → [the maintenance request]
- Click Log expense
- Enter amount and category
- Save
This creates the debit transaction in Money and links it to the work order — so you can see the repair cost from both the financial ledger and the maintenance history for that unit.
Common Expense Scenarios
Monthly utilities you pay (landlord pays utilities): Set up a utility obligation for each utility. When the bill arrives, open the draft in Money, update the actual amount, and confirm. Do this instead of adding a new manual transaction each month.
Contractor invoice for a repair: Add transaction → Debit → Repairs → enter amount → attach invoice photo → link to vendor (optional). If it came from a work order, use the Log expense flow in Work.
Annual insurance renewal: If you set up an insurance obligation, the draft appears automatically on the renewal date. Update the amount to the new premium if it changed, then confirm.
Property tax payment: Add transaction → Debit → Taxes → enter amount → property level. Property taxes attach to the property, not a specific unit.
Management company fee (percentage of rent): Add transaction → Debit → Management fees → enter the fee amount. If your PM deducts it before sending your payout, record the net payout as income and the management fee as a separate debit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between “Repairs” and “Cleaning and maintenance” for rental properties?
Repairs is for restoring something to working condition: a broken HVAC, a leaking pipe, a failed appliance. Cleaning and maintenance is for routine upkeep: post-checkout cleaning, weekly lawn service, pool/spa maintenance, pest control, gutter cleaning. Both are deductible — categorize them on their Schedule E line (Line 14 for Repairs, Line 7 for Cleaning) for the most accurate tax reporting.
Can I record a split expense that covers multiple properties?
No — Estavo transactions are one-to-one (one transaction to one unit or property). For shared expenses (e.g., one invoice covers three properties), record three separate transactions with the proportional amounts. This keeps each property’s P&L accurate.
How do I handle a refundable deposit I paid to a vendor?
Don’t record it as an expense until the money is actually spent. If you paid a deposit that will be returned, it’s not yet an expense — it’s a temporary outlay. Record it as an expense only if and when the vendor keeps it.
Should I record the full mortgage payment or just the interest?
Record the full monthly mortgage payment as a debit. Your CPA will use your annual mortgage interest statement (Form 1098) to determine the deductible interest portion. The principal portion isn’t deductible, but tracking the full payment gives you an accurate picture of your actual cash outflow.
What do I do with a large capital improvement — like a new roof or kitchen renovation?
Record it as a debit transaction under Repairs (or Other for something clearly major) with a description flagging it for your CPA: “New roof, $18,500 — confirm capitalization treatment.” Your CPA will decide whether it’s a current-year repair deduction or a depreciable capital improvement. Don’t try to resolve this yourself in Estavo.