My tax person says I can deduct a % of the repairs I've done based on the SQ Footage of the basement unit.

Sucks as I have a high deductible and just paid out of pocket.Typically the only time they are responsible is if you had previously notified them the tree was dead and they did not do anything about it. 

For example, you can deduct mortgage interest, property taxes, operating expenses, depreciation, and sometimes even travel expenses related to property management.

Insurance would cover it, I would pay the deductible, and no assets would be lost.If you are in an area like San Diego where people are more likely to sue, a judge is more likely to find you guilty, and the payout is expected to be higher, you may consider an umbrella insurance policy.

Be interested in what your thoughts are to include this in a lease (needs to be maintained to some defined degree of cleanliness rather than waiting until move-out and deduct cleaning charges from their deposit).

What if there are already damages to the property that you could have deducted and tenant keeps whole thing rather than submitting to new management? 

One benefit you may want to take advantage of with the 401k is the tax deduction. 

I am pursuing my goal to be a land investor, and so far I feel good about having bought a number of lots at a good price. There is still a lot I have to learn, so my question is going to be as basic as it gets.  I nee...

So, you don't necessarily have to complete the separation of units by January 1st to start deducting expenses.Facts are important but overall, think of the place in date as the date you can start to deduct some of these expenses. 

At 100k the deduction starts to phase out and is fully phased out at 150k.