Setting Expectations for Normal Wear and Tear

As a landlord, you’re guaranteed to encounter wear and tear in your units, especially after a lease ends or tenants have been living in your unit for a long time. Some wear and tear is a normal part of owning a rental unit, but other damages can toe the line of being considered excessive wear and tear.

The idea of normal wear and tear is commonly debated by landlords and tenants due to the vague nature of the phrase and is often at the root of security deposit disputes since one party will ultimately be responsible for the cost of repairs. We’re here to help you understand what is considered normal wear and tear and precautions to take against excessive wear and tear so when your next lease ends, you can assess the situation with clarity and have a smooth lease conclusion.

What is Normal vs. Excessive Wear and Tear?

So, let’s start from the beginning: What is normal wear and tear?

Wear and tear occurs when items in your rental unit, such as walls, furniture, flooring, or appliances, are worn down over their lifetime from consistent use. Some wear and tear, like small nail holes in the walls or faded flooring, is normal, while other wear and tear, like doors ripped from hinges or missing bathroom tiles, is considered excessive.

While many people debate over whether damages are normal or excessive, this distinction is an important one to make since the decision determines who is responsible for paying to repair the worn or damaged items in the home. Individual states may have state-specific laws about wear and tear, but the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has documentation that lays some general groundwork for what is considered normal wear and tear versus excessive wear and tear.

Normal Wear and Tear Examples

According to the HUD document, these are common examples of normal wear and tear that a tenant would not be responsible for paying to repair:

• Fading, peeling, or cracked paint
• Slightly torn or faded wallpaper
• Small chips in plaster
• Nail holes, pin holes, or cracks in wall
• Door sticking from humidity
• Cracked window pane from faulty foundation or building settling
• Floors needing coat of varnish
• Carpet faded or worn thin from walking
• Loose grouting and bathroom tiles
• Worn or scratched enamel in old bathtubs, sinks, or toilets
• Rusty shower rod
• Partially clogged sinks caused by aging pipes
• Dirty or faded lamp or window shades

The above items can generally be attributed to regular, normal use by a tenant over time, which means that the responsibility falls on the landlord to fix these issues before the next tenant moves in.

Excessive Wear and Tear/Damage Examples

As opposed to normal wear and tear, the HUD document also lists examples of excessive wear and tear or damages that the tenant would be responsible for paying to repair or replace due to negligence:

• Gaping holes in walls or plaster
• Drawings, crayon markings, or wallpaper that owner did not approve
• Seriously damaged or ruined wallpaper
• Chipped or gouged wood floors
• Doors ripped off hinges
• Broken windows
• Missing fixtures
• Holes in ceiling from removed fixtures
• Holes, stains, or burns in carpet
• Missing or cracked bathroom tiles
• Chipped and broken enamel in bathtubs and sinks
• Clogged or damaged toilet from improper use
• Missing or bent shower rods
• Torn, stained, or missing lamp and window shades

The above issues carry higher severity than routine use by a tenant, and point to negligence by a tenant that causes excessive damage to the unit. These damages require more time, energy, and money to repair or replace, and should be paid for by the tenant’s security deposit.

Life Expectancy of Household Items

Nothing in a home lasts forever. Flooring, appliances, furniture, etc. all need maintenance and eventually must be replaced. The timeline for these replacements varies, with different average “life expectancies” for different household items. The same HUD documentation from above also outlines the life expectancy of several major items, separated by tenant age:

• Hot water heaters: 10 years for all units.
• Plush carpeting: 5 years for family, 7 years for the elderly.
• A/C units: 10 years for all units.
• Ranges: 20 years for all units.
• Refrigerators: 10 years for all units.
• Enamel interior painting: 5 years for family, 7 years for the elderly.
• Flat interior painting: 3 years for family, 5 years for the elderly.
• Tiles or linoleum: 5 years for family, 7 years for the elderly.
• Window shades, screens, and blinds: 3 years for family and the elderly.

Keep in mind that this list is not an exact indicator of when items in your rental units will need to be replaced, and is instead a guideline to start with when repairing and replacing items or materials in your apartments. Your situation may differ from the average lifespan of an item, and that’s okay!

Precautions to Take Against Excessive Wear and Tear

Now that you know the difference between wear and tear and tenant damages, it’s also crucial to learn about precautions you can take as a landlord to attempt to limit or stop damages/excessive wear and tear from happening in your rental units. There are several ways you can stay organized and communicate with tenants about your expectations, which we’ll cover below.

1. Security Deposits

As a landlord, you should always require a security deposit when the tenant moves into the unit, typically between one- and two-months’ rent. This deposit will allow you to cover costs of damages caused by your tenant, but keep in mind that you may only keep the money for repairs if the tenant caused excessive wear and tear, not just normal wear and tear.

Each state has requirements for proper handling of security deposits, but generally, if you wrongfully keep a tenant’s security deposit, they can take legal action against you. Always be fair when assessing damage or wear and tear in your units to avoid legal issues or disputes at the end of a lease.

2. Tenant Screening

One precaution landlords may take to try to mitigate future damages (as well as a whole host of other problems) is tenant screening. This is when a landlord collects information about a tenant when they apply for the unit, including details about credit scores, criminal background, and eviction history, as well as information about income, pets, and more.

Tenant screening is done to get a clear picture of who a tenant is and how they might treat your rental unit before they’re ever approved for move-in. Tenant screening generally leads to better quality tenants who will be more considerate of your space. Don’t forget that discrimination in tenant screening against race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability is strictly prohibited by the Fair Housing Act—you must always be fair to potential tenants.

3. Adding Cleaning Expectations to Lease

Before a tenant ever signs a lease, they should know what cleaning expectations you have for the move-out process. This means including this information in your lease—will you require your tenant to repaint before they move out? Will you require them to clean the carpets? How will you approach move-out inspections? What is considered normal or ordinary wear and tear in your units?

By including this information in the lease before they move in, you will be able to hold tenants accountable if they fail to follow instructions or if they leave damage to the unit upon move-out.

4. Documenting the State of the Unit Before Move-In and After Move-Out

One of the most important things for you to do as a landlord before a tenant moves in or after a tenant moves out is to document everything about the state of the unit. This means taking thorough photos and videos of every inch of the apartment to document the condition before the tenant stayed in it versus after. Tenants are encouraged to do the same when they move in and when they move out.

Documenting the state of the unit can serve as crucial evidence in legal cases where one party makes a fraudulent claim about damages (or if you simply need to make a claim about tenant damages), and can help you to understand what condition the unit is in for your own records.

Conclusion

Wear and tear is a common occurrence in rental units as items are used and worn down over time, but it’s vital to know the difference between normal and excessive wear and tear so you can take the proper measures to repair them when the time comes. With your new knowledge of what is considered normal wear and tear, you’ll be able to mitigate security deposit disputes when leases end, maintain a positive landlord-tenant relationship, and properly prepare your unit for the next tenant.

FAQs

What is considered normal wear and tear in a rental unit?

The term normal wear and tear refers to minor damage to a rental unit resulting from standard use over time, such as faded paint, worn carpet, or small nail holes in walls. These repairs are the landlord’s responsibility to fix.

What qualifies as excessive wear and tear or tenant damage?

Excessive wear includes damage caused by negligence or abuse, such as broken windows, holes in walls, missing fixtures, or stained carpets. These costs can be deducted from the tenant’s security deposit.

Can a landlord keep the security deposit for normal wear and tear?

No, security deposits can only be used to cover excessive damage to a rental unit, not for repairing wear that results from typical use.

Who decides whether damage is normal or excessive?

While landlords make the initial assessment, state laws and HUD guidelines provide general standards. In disputes, documentation and move-in/move-out inspections are key to proving the condition.

What should be included in the lease regarding wear and tear?

Leases should clearly define tenant responsibilities for cleaning and maintenance, outline move-out expectations, and specify what qualifies as damage versus normal wear.