Swapped an old fridge or carpet in your rental property? Landlords can claim tax relief on replacing domestic items – but not if it's an upgrade! Know the rules and save money by claiming what you are entitled.

The replacement of domestic items relief allows landlords to claim tax relief when they replace movable furniture, household appliances, and other domestic items in a rental property. This relief is available for various items, including free-standing wardrobes, carpets, curtains, televisions, fridges, and crockery.

The amount of the deduction depends on several factors:

• The cost of the new replacement item, which is limited to the cost of an equivalent item if it represents an improvement over the old one (i.e., beyond the reasonable modern equivalent); plus
• the incidental costs associated with disposing of the old item or acquiring the replacement; minus
• any amounts received from disposing of the old item must be deducted from the total claimable amount.

A key aspect of this relief is distinguishing between a "replacement" and an "improvement." If the new item is deemed an improvement over the old one, the allowable deduction is limited to the cost of purchasing an equivalent item of similar type and function.

HMRC’s internal guidance provides an example highlighting the fact that a brand-new budget washing machine costing circa £200 is not an improvement over a 5-year-old washing machine that cost around £200 at the time of purchase (or slightly less, considering inflation).

If the replacement item is a reasonable modern equivalent, such as replacing an old fridge with a new energy-efficient model, this would not be considered an improvement, and the landlord can claim the full cost of the new item under the relief.

This relief helps landlords offset the costs of maintaining and upgrading rental properties, provided the replacement is for an equivalent item rather than an enhanced or more expensive upgrade.