1: lying is not an option.
Why make fake income? This cost can be fully deducted when you sell your house.
2: money spent before place-in-service date are "acquisition cost", they are not expenses.
Acquisition cost cannot be deducted from rental income, instead they should be depreciated and deducted from eventual sales price to reduce capital gain.
In your case, since your unit is not yet placed in service, all these home improvement cannot be deducted from rental income.
2.2 Certain expenses can go through safeharbor.
Two safe harbor is applicable to you
A. de minimus safe harbor: $2500 tangible property can be deducted every year, no question asked. This is to simplify tax reporting.
B. small taxpayer safe harbor: $10,000 repair could be deducted every year if the building value do not exceed 1 million.
