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Chart: Cleaning and Repairs a Landlord Can Deduct From a Security Deposit
Landlords are permitted to deduct from security deposits for damage or excessive filth, but not for ordinary wear and tear.
Typically, landlords may charge tenants for any cleaning or repairs necessary to restore the rental unit to its condition at the beginning of the tenancy. Landlords may not, however, use the tenant's security deposit to cover the costs of ordinary wear and tear. Here are examples of wear and tear versus damage or excessive filth:
| Ordinary Wear and Tear: Landlord's Responsibility | Damage or Excessive Filth: Tenant's Responsibility |
| Curtains faded by the sun | Cigarette burns in curtains or carpets |
| Water-stained linoleum by shower | Broken tiles in bathroom |
| Minor marks on or nicks in wall | Large marks on or holes in wall |
| Dents in the wall where a door handle bumped it | Door off its hinges |
| Moderate dirt or spotting on carpet | Rips in carpet or urine stains from pets |
| A few small tack or nail holes in wall | Lots of picture holes or gouges in walls that require patching as well as repainting |
| A rug worn thin by normal use | Stains in rug caused by a leaking fish tank |
| Worn gaskets on refrigerator doors | Broken refrigerator shelf |
| Faded paint on bedroom wall | Water damage on wall from hanging plants |
| Dark patches of ingrained soil on hardwood floors that have lost their finish and have been worn down to bare wood | Water stains on wood floors and windowsills caused by windows being left open during rainstorms |
| Warped cabinet doors that won't close | Sticky cabinets and interiors |
| Stains on old porcelain fixtures that have lost their protective coating | Grime-coated bathtub and toilet |
| Moderately dirty mini-blinds | Missing mini-blinds |
| Bathroom mirror beginning to "de-silver" (black spots) | Mirrors caked with lipstick and makeup |
| Clothes dryer that delivers cold air because the thermostat has given out | Dryer that won't turn at all because it's been over-loaded |
| Toilet flushes inadequately because mineral deposits have clogged the jets | Toilet won't flush properly because it's stopped up with a diaper |
FAQs
- What is constructive eviction?
- Does the landlord have the obligation to maintain the premises and to make repairs if defects occur?
- What is the difference between a month-by-month lease and a fixed-term lease?
- Is a landlord allowed to discriminate in the selection of tenants?
- Under what conditions does the landlord owe a refund of the security deposit?
Tenants' Rights Forms
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