Living room
- Small nail holes
- Usually normal wear.
- Picture-frame shadows
- Usually normal wear.
- Scuffed baseboards
- Often a gray area.
- Burns or cigarette marks
- Usually damage.
Move-out reference for tenants and landlords
Normal wear or deposit damage? Decode it before you argue.
This page helps you look at a scratch, stain, hole, or mark and decide whether it is usually counted as normal living or likely damage. Pick a room, choose an item, match the condition, and see what typically happens with deposits.
- Room-by-room examples, not vague general rules.
- Documentation prompts for photos and notes.
- Printable, browser-side, and private.
The decoder
Use this when you are staring at something and wondering whether it will come out of your deposit. The results are not legal advice, but they show how these issues usually play out.
Pick an item and condition to see the result.
What to document
- Choose a result above to see documentation prompts.
Saved results in your browser
Room-by-room quick reference
Use this section before move-in and again before checkout. It shows the most common arguments and how to reduce them.
Bedroom
- Faded curtains
- Usually normal wear.
- Closet door off-track
- Often damage if forced.
- Light furniture marks on carpet
- Usually normal wear.
- Large wall stickers or adhesive damage
- Usually damage.
Kitchen
- Worn countertop near sink
- Often normal wear.
- Stove drip pans dirty
- Usually a cleaning issue.
- Cutting marks on countertop
- Often a gray area.
- Broken cabinet hinge
- Usually damage.
Bathroom
- Mild soap scum
- Usually a cleaning issue.
- Caulk discolored but intact
- Often normal wear.
- Cracked tile
- Usually damage.
- Exhaust fan not working
- Usually damage.
Hallway
- Scuff marks near entry
- Usually normal wear.
- Faded paint near door
- Often normal wear.
- Dents in drywall
- Usually damage.
- Loose handrail
- Usually damage.
Doors and entry
- Sticky lock
- Often a maintenance issue.
- Small scratches near handle
- Usually normal wear.
- Missing key
- Usually a replacement fee.
- Door off hinges or cracked
- Usually damage.
Reference table: wear, gray area, or damage
This table is a quick scan. Real outcomes depend on your lease, local rules, and how well you documented the condition at move-in.
| Item | Normal wear | Gray area | Likely damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interior paint | Minor scuffs, small nail marks, fading over several years. | Larger scuffs, unmatched patch jobs, crayon or marker marks. | Unauthorized paint colors, large stains, peeling paint from moisture you caused. |
| Carpet | Vacuum lines, light matting in short paths after a year or two. | Matting in high-traffic paths after several years. | Stains, burns, tears, pet urine, or bleaching. |
| Hard floors | Light surface scratches from normal foot traffic. | Deeper scratches in one area or small chips near furniture. | Gouges, water damage, broken boards, or deep pet scratches. |
| Walls | Tiny nail holes, light picture marks, small scuffs near switches. | Several nail holes, wall anchors, or tape residue. | Large holes, dents, gouges, or peeling paint from adhesives. |
| Doors | Light scratches near the handle, minor paint wear at the bottom. | Sticking due to humidity, small chips near the bottom. | Cracks, missing hardware, broken locks, or holes. |
| Windows | Light dust, minor wear on the track. | Sticky sash, light scratches from normal use. | Cracked glass, broken seals, torn screens, or painted-shut frames. |
| Kitchen appliances | Light surface wear, normal dust, minor discoloration on stove grates. | Dull surfaces, worn seals, discoloration inside the oven. | Broken knobs, cracked glass, missing parts, or burnt-on mess from neglect. |
| Plumbing fixtures | Light water spots, minor dulling of chrome. | Slow buildup around faucets, discolored grout. | Cracked sinks, broken handles, leaks you caused, or removed fixtures. |
Printable move-out reference sheet
Use this short version when you walk through the unit. Tick what you photographed and note anything that was already there at move-in.
- Entry and front door
- Living room walls and floor
- Bedroom walls and carpet
- Kitchen counters, sink, stove
- Bathroom tile, tub, toilet
- Hallway and baseboards
- Windows and sills
- Radiators, vents, lights
- Keys, remotes, access cards
Common mistakes that cost tenants money
Most deposit fights are not about big disasters. They are about missing paperwork, rushed cleaning, and assumptions that feel fair to one side but not the other.
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No move-in photos
If you move in and never photograph existing marks, you lose your best defense. Take wide shots of every room and close-ups of any damage. Save them in at least two places.
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Assuming scuffs are always normal
Some scuffs are normal. Others are not. A mark at knee height on a hallway wall is common. A long gouge at shoulder height usually is not. Match the condition to the examples here before you assume.
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Ignoring small holes and anchors
A few small nail holes are usually fine. Wall anchors, large bolts, or screw holes for TVs are more likely to be counted as damage. Fill small holes if your lease allows it, but do not leave obvious patch work.
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Confusing cleaning with damage
A dirty oven is not damage, but it can still cost you. Many leases require the unit to be returned in the same condition it was rented, minus normal wear. That usually means clean, not just undamaged.
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Not reading the lease
Your lease may define who must repaint, how carpets must be cleaned, or what happens if appliances do not work like new. Those details matter more than general expectations.
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Leaving without a final walkthrough
If your landlord offers a move-out walkthrough, take it. If they do not, send a written note that you are ready to return the unit and ask if they want to inspect it with you.
About this reference
This page exists because deposit disputes are stressful and often unfair to one side. Tenants get surprised by deductions. Landlords get blamed for problems that were already there. A shared reference does not fix every argument, but it gives both sides a place to start.
The examples here are based on common rental standards and typical expectations. They are not legal advice. Your lease, local regulations, and the actual condition of the unit always matter more.
This reference is browser-side only. Your selections and saved results stay in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server.