Tenant Damage versus Normal Wear and Tear can be confusing for many. Normal wear and tear is essentially the deterioration of an item that occurs under normal conditions. Tenant damage usually requires more extensive repair, and at a greater cost than “normal wear and tear”, and are often the result of a tenant’s abuse or negligence that is above and beyond normal wear and tear.

Normal costs of turning over a rental property after a tenant vacate MAY NOT be charged to the TENANT. The costs an OWNER incurs for the basic cleaning and repairing of such items necessary to make a unit “rent ready” for the next TENANT are part of the cost of doing business. The following is a list of items typically attributable to routine use or “normal wear and tear”.

Examples of Tenant Damage versus Normal Wear and Tear:

NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR	DAMAGES
Worn or loose hinges on doors or locks	Doors with holes. Broken doors. Damage to door or doorframe from forced entry.
A few small nail holes, minor marks on or nicks in wall	Large or substantial holes or dents in wall.
Scuffed up floors	Badly scratched or gouged floors
Loose or inoperable faucet	Broken or missing faucet.
Toilet runs or wobbles	Broken toilet seat or tank top
Faded, cracked or chipped paint	Crayon marks, writing on walls, unapproved paint color or excessive dirt requiring more than one coat to cover
Carpeting/blinds showing average wear or fading by sun	Torn, stained or burned carpeting or curtains
Vinyl flooring worn thin	Vinyl flooring with tears, holes or burn marks
Worn or scratched enamel or stains on old porcelain fixtures that have lost their protective coating	Chipped and broken enamel in sinks and bathtubs or grime-coated bathtub and/or toilet
Bathroom mirror beginning to “desilver”.	Mirrors broken, missing or caked with grime
Worn gaskets on refrigerator	Broken refrigerator shelves, trays, bins or bars
Worn countertop	Burns or cuts in countertop
Cabinet doors that will not close	Greasy, sticky or broken cabinets and interiors.
Closet door off track	Damaged or missing closet door
Dusty blinds	Missing, broken or bent slats on blinds
Cracked window pain from faulty foundation, building settling or high wind	Broken windows or torn or missing screens
Food odors or smoke that dissipate over a few hours	Smoke damage to paint from smoking or burning candles or burning incense
Loose grout or tiles	Missing or cracked tiles
Partially clogged sinks caused by hard water	Clogged or damaged toilet caused by improper use
A dead bush or two which exceeded their lifespan	Neglected landscaping which must be replaced with similar plantings

Tenant Damage versus Normal Wear and Tear:

After determining if an item requires replacement due to a Tenant’s abuse or neglect (not normal wear and tear), to calculate Tenant’s responsibility, a Landlord must know: (a) actual cost to replace the item, (b) how long an item would be expected to be useful before it wears out (its “useful life”), (c) current age of the item, and (d) its remaining useful life. Landlord may only charge Tenant for the remaining useful life of an item.

Sample Life Expectancy Chart per the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development*

Hot Water Heaters	10 years	All Units
Plush Carpeting	5 years	Family
	7 years	Elderly
Air Conditioning Units	10 years	All Units
Ranges	20 years	All Units
Refrigerators	10 years	All Units
Interior Painting-Enamel	5 Years	Family
	7 Years	Elderly
Interior Painting-Flat	3 Years	Family
	5 Years	Elderly
Tiles/Linoleum	5 Years	Family
	7 Years	Elderly
Window/Shades/Screens/Blinds	3 Years	All Units

*If these items were in good condition at the time of move in, at it can be shown that damage, above normal wear and tear has been sustained, then a charge against the Tenant’s security deposit can be applied. Sample Life expectancy chart from United States Housing and Urban Development.

Example:

Cost of new dishwasher: $400

Useful life of dishwasher: 10 years

Age of dishwasher at the end of tenancy: 4 years

Remaining useful life: 6 years (10 years less 4 years)

Tenant Responsibility: $400 x .60 = $240

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