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Rental property tax return: what documents do you need?

Updated 2026-10-22 · for the 2025–26 income year

Every year your tax return includes a rental schedule: how much rent came in and what the property cost you. How accurate it is depends on the documents you give your accountant. Use this list and send everything in one go.

1. Rental income

• Your property manager's end of financial year statement: rent, management fees, advertising and any repairs they paid are all on it
• If you manage it yourself: every rent payment from your bank statements
• Bond money you kept and insurance payouts for lost rent also count as income

2. Loans

• The annual interest statement for each loan account (1 July to 30 June)
• If you redrew from the loan, or the loan funds both your home and the rental: what each drawdown was used for. Interest on the private part is not deductible
• In the year you borrowed or refinanced: invoices for establishment fees, LMI, valuation and broker fees (borrowing costs over $100 are claimed over 5 years)

3. Holding costs

• Council rates and water bills
• Strata levies (admin and sinking fund levies; a special levy raised for a specific capital improvement is not deductible straight away)
• Land tax assessment notices
• Landlord and building insurance
• Cleaning, gardening and pest control invoices

4. Repairs and improvements

• Every repair invoice, showing what was fixed and at which property
• Invoices for renovations, extensions or a whole new kitchen, ideally with before and after photos (these are not claimed in one year; they are depreciated or go into the cost base)
• Invoices for fixing damage that existed when you bought the property (not deductible straight away, but useful when you sell)

5. Depreciation schedule

• A quantity surveyor's tax depreciation schedule: the 2.5% a year capital works deduction is worked out from it. The fee for the report is deductible too

If you bought a second-hand residential property after 7:30pm on 9 May 2017, you can't claim depreciation on the appliances, carpets and blinds that came with it. The building itself (capital works) can still be claimed at 2.5%.

6. The year you bought (and the year you sell)

• The purchase contract and settlement statement (stamp duty, legal fees and adjustments are on it)
• The year you sell: the sale contract, settlement statement, agent's commission and legal fees
• If you used to live there: the date you moved out and the date it was first rented

How long should you keep them?

The ATO generally asks you to keep records for 5 years from when you lodge. Records of buying, owning and selling the property must be kept until 5 years after you sell. Paper or digital is fine; back up the digital copies.

Common questions

Sources

• ATO · Records for rental properties and holiday homes: https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals-and-families/investments-and-assets/property-and-land/residential-rental-properties/records-for-rental-properties-and-holiday-homes
• ATO · Rental properties 2025 – rental expenses: https://www.ato.gov.au/forms-and-instructions/rental-properties-2025/rental-expenses
• ATO · Second-hand depreciating assets: https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals-and-families/investments-and-assets/property-and-land/residential-rental-properties/rental-expenses/depreciating-assets-in-rental-properties/second-hand-depreciating-assets
• ATO · Borrowing expenses: https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals-and-families/investments-and-assets/property-and-land/residential-rental-properties/rental-expenses/borrowing-expenses

Keep reading

• What can you claim on a rental property? Interest, repairs, depreciation
• Selling an investment property: how CGT works and the 2027 changes