Its important to discern between repairing an item and replacing an item, see the Repairs vs Improvements for more information.
Briefly, any costs involved in returning an item or building to its previous working condition is considered to be a rental property deduction, fully deductible in the year of expense.
Examples of Repairs and Maintenance costs include:
- Plumbing repairs
- Electrical repairs
- Painting
- Fixing a portion of a fence
- Replacing a window
- Repairing an existing Air Conditioning unit
Costs which would not fall into this category are:
- Building a new fence
- Installation of a new Air Conditioning unit
- Any repairs which occur prior to the property first being rented