Noun. 1. specific heat-the heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of a substance one degree centigrade. heat, heat energy-a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature. 1  Facebook.
You begin to depreciate your property when you place it in service for use in your trade or business or for the production of income. You stop depreciating property either when you have fully recovered your cost or other basis or when you retire it from service, whichever happens first.
Claiming Depreciation. Residential rental property gets depreciated over 27.5 years. What you do is to take the cost of the building, but not the land, divide it by 27.5, and claim that amount on Form 4562 as well as carry it over to your Schedule E as an expense.