House Hacking Tax Deductions: Nitty Gritty

[Anthony Del Russo]

Hello BP!

I am 3 months into my first SFH house hack (Going Great!) but am now trying to educate myself on further ways to be tax efficient.

I understand how to calculate depreciation allowance on a house hack but was wondering about other deductible expenses, for example:

1. I have internet for my tenants and I, we all split the bill. Is this tax deductible or is it only if I pay the whole bill? Same for gas, electricity?

2. I am just about to stain the fence around the porch. Since this is a common area, are the supplies tax deductible

Is there any general rule of thumb to easily distinguish between what is deductible and what is not?