Property Management Blog

Normal Wear and Tear vs Damages (What’s The Difference?)

Richey Property Management - Friday, December 6, 2019

What is considered normal wear and tear in a rental property?  This is a common question we get.  Knowing the difference between normal wear and tear vs damages will help you when you do a security deposit refund.  Reasonable wear and tear are things like wall scuffs, minor nail holes, normal carpet wear.  There link to a list of normal wear and tear items and actual damage items you can charge for in the notes.  Doing good property inspections before a tenant moves in and after they move out will help you document things that are different and then you can decide if it’s normal wear and tear vs damages.  The cost to a landlord for normal wear and tear can vary but you certainly should budget for it when you have a tenant turnover.