If the property is available for rent (as in uninhabited), then, yes, you can deduct your ordinary and necessary expenses against your rental income when the property is vacant. You will not, however, be allowed to report a rental loss during the vacancy; the unused excess loss will be carried forward to offset your next profitable year.
If you're having work done on the property, substantially and full-time (most of the day), which prevents the property from being rented, then you can deduct expenses unless you're required to capitalize the expenditures.
If the property is not available for rent, because you want don't want to deal with renters when you've listed the property for sale or because you or someone you know is living there, then your expenses for operating and maintaining the property cannot be deducted.