Don’t be on the ATO’s naughty list in 2026

The ATO is cracking down on people who claim too many tax deductions for properties that they use both personally and as rentals — especially holiday homes.
A new draft ruling says that if you use a property for both personal use and renting it out, you must split (apportion) the expenses in a fair and reasonable way. You can only claim deductions for the portion of time or space used to earn rental income.
If the ATO thinks your property is really a holiday home — for example, you block out peak times for your own use and only rent it occasionally — they can classify it as a “leisure facility.”
If that happens, you cannot claim big expenses like mortgage interest, council rates, land tax or maintenance.
You’ll only be allowed to claim small costs like cleaning, advertising and platform/agent fees.
The ATO says many owners of holiday homes have been claiming too much by showing “rental losses” every year. They are now looking more closely at cases where the owner keeps the property unavailable for rent during busy periods.
How do I stay off the ATO naughty list?
If you mix personal use with rental use, be careful. Only claim the rental part of your expenses, or the ATO may deny most of your deductions.




