I rent my home — can I deduct home office rent as a self-employed person?

Yes. If you rent your home and operate a home office from it, you can deduct a portion of your rent equal to your home office percentage. This is often a significant deduction for renters because rent is typically a large monthly cost.

For example, if you pay $2,000 per month in rent and your home office makes up 15% of your home's floor area, you can deduct $300 per month, or $3,600 per year, as a home office expense. This is reported on Form T2125 under workspace-in-the-home costs.

The same eligibility conditions apply: the space must be your principal place of business or used exclusively for business and regularly for meeting clients. A dedicated room consistently used for work is the strongest case. Unlike homeowners who must be careful about the principal residence exemption if they over-claim, renters do not face this concern — but the exclusivity requirement still applies. Keep your lease agreement and rent receipts in case the CRA requests documentation.