Landlord who repairs properties but uses rental agent

[billyg]

Hi all, Have I got this right that if I use a rental agent I can't claim for travel to and from my properties when I carry out repairs, decoration, meeting tradesmen for quotes and to carry out work etc ?

If so it seems very unfair ?

Thanks

[maths]

The deductibility of travel costs is a bit of a minefield.

Employing an estate agent to manage rental properties typically results in HMRC taking the view that travel from your home to the properties is not tax deductible. But travel costs from agent's office to properties is in principle deductible.

The apparent rationale seems to be that the office from which the business is conducted is the agent's office not your home.

[pawncob]

It depends on what the agent is authorised to do. If he just collects rents, then your travel is probably allowable. If he employs tradesmen to service the property then it's as "maths" says.

[bd6759]

The Dr Samadian and Dr Jones decisions really threw travel into the melting pot. Taken literally, any travel from home to a regular or predicatable place is not allowable. Travel to a property you own is predictable, therefore. apparently, not allowable whether you engage an agent or not.