I am a private landlord, renting my flat out while I'm working away for a few years. I do not want to let the flat out fully furnished due to the extra complications that brings. Am I able to deduct the costs of storage from my tax liabilities?   

Arthur Weller replies:  

Probably HMRC would argue that this is a private expense and not a business expense. If you would be renting out a furnished property and the furnishings would be used in the property business, and then a new tenant started who only wanted an unfurnished property, so you had to put all the furnishings into storage until this tenant stopped, you could probably claim storage costs. But in your scenario, the private furnishings have nothing to do with your property business.