Security Deposit Deductions for Appliances
Appliances carry a long useful life, so a damaged unit is prorated — and a truly worn-out one is often the landlord's replacement to make.
Normal wear — not chargeable
Normal mechanical failure and age-related breakdown are not chargeable.
Damage — chargeable
Tenant-caused breakage, missing racks or parts, and neglect damage are chargeable, prorated by the appliance's useful life (commonly 10 years).
Worked example
Cost to fix: $800 · Useful life: 10 years · Age at move-out: 6 years · Life remaining: 40%. Typically chargeable: $320 — not the full $800.
A removed or missing appliance is charged at full replacement cost with no proration — the landlord is out the whole item.
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Continue to deposit letter →The unit turn calculator costs the whole make-ready — materials and labor, trade by trade — so you can see what is chargeable and what is not.
Open the unit turn calculator →More items: carpet · paint · blinds · pet damage
Then: Condition Report · Unit Turn Calculator · Deposit Return Letter
Useful-life figures reference the HUD life-expectancy chart, an industry standard rather than statute. This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your state's rules before sending a deduction statement.
Questions people ask
- Can a landlord charge for a damaged appliance?
- Tenant-caused breakage, missing racks or parts, and neglect damage are chargeable, prorated by the appliance's useful life (commonly 10 years). The useful life commonly assigned to an appliance is 7–15 years, so the charge is prorated by how much of it remained.
- What counts as normal wear here?
- Normal mechanical failure and age-related breakdown are not chargeable.
- How is the chargeable amount calculated?
- Multiply the cost by the share of useful life remaining. Example: $800 at 6 years old on a 10-year life leaves 40%, so about $320 is typically chargeable.