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What counts as normal wear and tear?
Normal wear and tear is the everyday aging of a home that happens just from living in it. Landlords generally can't take it out of a tenant's security deposit. Damage is different: that's harm from accidents, carelessness or misuse, and it can be deducted.
In a little more detail
The simple test: would this have happened anyway, with a careful tenant living there? If yes, it's wear and tear. If it happened because something was dropped, broken, ignored or misused, it's damage.
How long the tenant lived there matters too. Carpet that's worn after five years is normal. The same wear after five months might not be.
- Wear and tear: faded paint, small nail holes, light scuffs, carpet worn in walkways, loose door handles.
- Damage: large holes in walls, burns or stains in carpet, broken windows, pet scratches through flooring, missing fixtures.
Things to watch
- Take dated photos at move-in and move-out. They settle most disagreements.
- Don't charge to repaint or recarpet just because it's old.
- Keep receipts for any repair you deduct.
Walk the unit room by room and note the condition at both ends of the lease.
This is a plain-English explanation, not legal advice. Rules vary by state and city, so check your local law or talk to an attorney before you act on it.
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