You can always use prior photos from when it was vacant.

Rents were at $1950 prior to the renovations and we still live here now.

You can not catch up in year X if you did not raise the rent during the prior years.

I know a lot of military personnel were writing that stuff off in previous years, but they weren't supposed to be.You can look at a 2017 Pub 3 (page 17) to see what I mean about uniforms. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/p3--2017.pdfSome uniform stuff was deductible, but (essentially) if you could wear it off base, it wasn't deductible even if you paid for it out of pocket.No big deal if you did write it off.

The scope should be highly detailed and developed prior to construction beginning.  

I have a house I used to live in that is currently being rented.  I don't even break even and want to sale the house.  Is it better to create an LLC and put the house under the LLC and then sale?  

Just a few blocks West of the 405 and one block North of  the 10 freeways and inside the new Metro-Rail 1/2 mile radius of the special incentive development rules to encourage more units for housing that allow new construction to have "special" or "liberal" allowances of set-backs, more height up to 5 stores where 4 were the max just prior. 

Some individuals say yes as long as you can prove you made prior arrangements, appointments, etc. and other says you can only write-off these expenses after you actually own property in that location.Does it make a difference if you make the travel purchases as part of your personal assets or on behalf of an LLC?

i would certainly consider putting a long term fixed rate resi mortgage on a rental prior to a career/job transition. 

Unknown what if any steps prior owner took regarding ejectment lawsuits.