Readers' forum : What’s claimable?

My client owns a property that he rents out to tenants. During maintenance works in the garden involving the repointing of walls and repainting my client also decided to replace the small lawn with paving to reduce the amount of maintenance in the garden for the tenants and provide a more useful area and easier access to the washing line and patio area for drying clothes.

My question is whether the cost of removing the lawn and the paving can be included as a repair. I believe there is a fine line between whether something could be interpreted as a repair or is simply an improvement. Because a patio is a personal preference it can be argued either way whether this has increased the value of the property. To some this could have reduced the value and appeal.

The property is my client’s primary residence. However he...