Fair wear and tear
The normal deterioration of a home and its contents from ordinary, reasonable use over time. A landlord cannot deduct for it from the deposit.
In short: Fair wear and tear is the decline in condition that comes from ordinary use and the passing of time, such as faded paint or a worn carpet in a hallway. It is not damage, so it cannot be charged to the tenant. Deposit schemes weigh the length of the tenancy and the age of items.
England. Checked against the law on 5 October 2026. Information, not legal advice.
The line between wear and tear and damage is the commonest deposit dispute. Things deposit schemes consider:
- Length of the tenancy and number of occupiers: more use means more wear.
- Age and quality of the item at the start: a landlord is not entitled to a new carpet for an old one.
- Betterment: a deduction should reflect the loss, not the full cost of replacing an item that was already part-used.
Usually wear and tear: light scuffs, faded curtains, worn paths in carpet. Usually damage: burns, large stains, broken fittings, holes in walls.
Evidence decides: a dated inventory, check-out report and photos.
Read more: Your deposit: protected within 30 days, capped at five weeks, and the 1 to 3 times rule
Related: Inventory and schedule of condition, Tenancy deposit protection scheme
Where this comes from
Guides on this
Guide
Deposits: the cap, the 30 days and the prescribed information
A tenancy deposit in England is capped at five weeks' rent, must be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days, and the tenant must get the prescribed information. Miss any of that and you face a penalty of up to three times the deposit.
Guide
How to protect a tenancy deposit, and what happens if you are late
Put the deposit in one of the three government schemes within 30 days and give the prescribed information. If late, the tenant can claim one to three times the deposit and most possession grounds close.
Template
Inventory and schedule of condition, room by room
A room-by-room record of what is in the home and what state it is in on the day the tenant moves in, with meter readings, keys, photos and signatures. It is the evidence both sides rely on when the deposit is returned.
Template
Deposit return: the tenant's request and the landlord's itemised statement
At the end of a tenancy in England the tenant asks for the deposit back and the landlord sets out any deductions with evidence. Both letters, and the deposit scheme's free dispute service when the two sides cannot agree.
Related terms
Glossary
Check-in and check-out
The visits at the start and end of a tenancy where the home is inspected against the inventory, keys are handed over and meter readings are taken.
Glossary
Deposit cap
The most a landlord in England can take as a tenancy deposit: five weeks' rent where the annual rent is under £50,000, six weeks' at £50,000 or more.
Glossary
Holding deposit
A payment of up to one week's rent to reserve a home while the landlord checks an application. It must be returned or put towards the rent or deposit.
Glossary
Inventory and schedule of condition
A dated record of what is in the home and the condition of each room and item at the start of a tenancy, usually with photos, signed by both sides.
Glossary
Prescribed information
The set of details about a protected deposit that a landlord must give the tenant, and anyone who paid the deposit for them, within 30 days of receiving it.
Glossary
Tenancy deposit protection scheme
A government-approved scheme that protects an assured tenant's deposit. In England there are three: the Deposit Protection Service, mydeposits and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme.