How long to keep rental records
You need to keep records for 5 years. Depending on your situation, that is 5 years from the date:
- you lodge your tax return
- of your last claim for the decline in value of an asset
- it is certain that no capital gains tax event can occur after you acquire, sell or otherwise dispose of property
- you resolve any disputes you have with us.
If you incurred a tax loss or made a net capital loss in an income year, you should keep records relevant to how you calculated the loss until at least the end of the time limit you have to amend the assessment for the income year when the tax loss is fully deducted or net capital loss is fully applied to other capital gains.
You will need these records to work out how much:
- rental income you need to declare
- you can claim as a deduction for your expenses
- capital gain or loss you make when you dispose of your rental property.
In some circumstances, you may need to provide these records as proof that you were the one to incur the expense.
Format of your rental records
Rental records must be in English or be readily translatable into English.
You can keep your records in either paper or digital format. If you make copies, they must be a true and clear copy of the original.
We recommend you keep a back-up of all your digital records.
Types of rental records to keep
You should keep records of the following transactions for your rental property or holiday home:
Rental income
Records of the amounts you receive, for example:
- a statement from your property or managing agent
- a rent book or bank statements that shows the rental payments going into your account
- documents that show a record of any bond money you retain in place of rent.
For more information on rental income, see Rental income you must declare.
Rental expenses
Records for expenses you incur, for example:
- bank statements showing the interest charged on money you borrowed for the rental property
- loan documents
- land tax assessments
- documents or receipts that show amounts you pay for the property, for example:
- advertising (including efforts to rent out the property)
- bank charges
- council rates
- gardening
- property agent fees
- repairs or maintenance
- documents showing details of expenses related to:
- the decline in value of depreciating assets
- any capital works expenses, such as structural improvements
- before and after photos for any capital works.
If you have a holiday home and weren't able to deduct ownership and use expenses, you may be able to add these amounts to the cost base of the property when you sell it, so you should keep records that relate to these expenses.
When you buy a rental property
Records when you buy (invest) in a rental property, for example:
- contract of purchase
- conveyancing documents
- loan documents
- costs to buy the property
- borrowing expenses.
While you own a rental property
Records for while you own a rental property, for example:
- documents that show periods of personal use by you or your friends
- documents that show periods the property is used as your main residence
- loan documents if you refinance your property
- documents, receipts and before and after photos for capital improvements
- tenant leases
- documents for all rental expenses.
When you sell your rental property
Records for when you sell or otherwise dispose of your rental property, for example:
- contract of sale
- conveyancing documents
- sale of property fees
- calculation of capital gain or loss.
Records for multiple properties
Keep separate records for each property, if you have:
- more than one property (including a block of apartments or similar)
- a duplex
- property that has been sub-divided.
This will ensure that you declare the correct rental income and claim the correct rental expenses for each property. It will also ensure that if you later sell or otherwise dispose of one or part of a property, you will have records to work out your capital gain or loss.