Normal Wear & Tear vs Damage

According to HUD, normal wear and tear is the deterioration that occurs naturally over time through use.

Normal wear and tear is to be expected and is not the tenant's responsibility to repair. Property damage by a resident that goes beyond normal wear and tear is the resident’s responsibility to repair.

The following is a list of items distinguishing between normal wear and tear and property damage.

Item Normal Wear and Tear
(Landlord Responsible)		 Damage
(Resident Responsible)
Walls/Holes Small or pin size holes from hung pictures or shelving.
Minor dents, scratches or decolorization. 		Larger holes in walls from brackets, shelving & mounted TV’s that require texture to repair.
Cleaning Broom clean condition is expected. Excessive dirt, stains or mildew.
Filthy Appliances.
Painting Faded, chipped or peeling paint. Painting from less than 2 years of residency.
Blinds Cheaper blinds damaged. Damaged or missing slats, or broken mechanism on wood faux blinds.
Caulking Loose, cracked or worn caulking. Recaulking due to allowing mold/mildew to form.
Stains/Rust Hard water deposits. Rust on appliances, bath light fixtures, shower rods, plumbing fixtures and drains.
Stains caused by buildup of dust and mildew.
Water Damage Damage from a reported water leak. Damaged caused by water splashing out of the shower, tubs overflowing and unreported water leaks.
Flooring Carpet: Flat, worn or thinning carpet (if carpet’s age is 5+ years).
Wood: Minor scuffs or scratches from normal foot traffic. Tile: Dirty grout from normal foot traffic. Loose tiles. 		Carpet: Deep or permanent stains, pet stains or cigarette burns.
Wood: Claw marks or damage from spills.
Tile: Chipped/Cracked tile or extraordinarily dirty grout.
Light Fixtures Nonfunctioning light fixture or dirty fan blades. Broken fixture, missing globes or fan blades.
Doors Door sticking or not properly closing.
Loose hinges.
Minor scratches or dents. 		Significant dents and scratches.
Doors ripped off hinges.
Scratches caused by pets.
Countertops Worn countertop. Scratches, deep or permanent stains or burn marks.
Water damage.
Cabinets Loose cabinet doors.
Delaminating cabinets. 		Broken cabinet doors.
Damaged bottom base.
Deep or permanent stains.
Appliances Rust on appliances.
Broken microwave handle.
Grease in a range hood. 		Damage due to misuse.
Broken refrigerator shelves.
Locks Loose door handles. Resident changed lock or missing.
Windows & Screens Dirty windows & screens.
Sticky or Hard to open windows. 		Unreported broken or cracked windows. Missing screens.
Odor Musty odor. Urine or pet odor.
Lawn & Landscaping Normal lawn wear. Dead patches and weeds.
Dead lawn from not watering.
Holes due to pets.
Overgrown bushes.
Below is a List of Items and Their Life Expectancy:
Carpeting: 5 Years Wood Flooring: 5 Years Tile Flooring: 20 Years
Painting: 3 Years Window Blinds: 3 Years Window Screens: 3 Years
Range: 20 Years Refrigerators: 10 Years Hot Water Heaters: 10 Years