Why it matters
What Fair Wear and Tear means for a landlord
Fair wear and tear is the dividing line every deposit dispute turns on: faded paint, lightly worn carpets in walkways and small scuffs after a multi-year tenancy are the landlord’s cost, not the tenant’s. Deposit scheme adjudicators apply it strictly and expect landlords to allow for the tenancy length and household size. A dated, signed inventory at check-in and check-out is the only reliable way to separate genuine damage from fair wear and tear.
Worked example
How it plays out
After a four-year tenancy, Dan finds the hallway carpet worn along the main walkway and the magnolia walls faded and scuffed. He wants to deduct £700 for a new carpet and £400 to redecorate. The deposit scheme adjudicator refuses both: carpet wear along the walkway over four years and multiple occupants is fair wear and tear, and faded paint is normal ageing, not damage. A burn or a pet stain would be damage, but even then, betterment rules would cut a claim on an already part-worn carpet to its remaining value. Without a dated check-in inventory, Dan could not have proved his case anyway.
Common mistakes
Where landlords go wrong
- 01Charging for normal-use wear (faded paint, walkway carpet wear) as if it were damage.
- 02Claiming new-for-old, betterment reduces any award to the item’s remaining value.
- 03No dated check-in/check-out inventory, so the burden of proof defeats the claim.
What to do
A short checklist
- Take a dated, signed check-in inventory with photographs at the start of every tenancy.
- Repeat it at check-out and compare like-for-like to separate damage from wear.
- Apportion any claim for the item’s age and remaining lifespan, not full replacement.
Sources
Checked against these sources on 16 September 2026. A guide to the rules in England, not legal advice: for a dispute or a possession claim, speak to a solicitor.
