Can a Landlord Charge for Repainting?
Interior paint has a short useful life, which is why repaint charges are so often reduced or thrown out.
Normal wear — not chargeable
Faded paint, minor scuffs, and small nail holes after a normal tenancy are wear and tear — repainting is generally the landlord's cost.
Damage — chargeable
Holes, unauthorized colors, crayon or smoke damage, and excessive marking are chargeable — but still prorated against paint's 2–3 year life.
Worked example
Cost to fix: $600 · Useful life: 3 years · Age at move-out: 3 years · Life remaining: 0%. Typically chargeable: $0 — not the full $600.
After about 2–3 years, a full repaint is difficult to charge to the tenant. A tenancy longer than the paint's useful life almost always makes the charge indefensible.
Run the numbers
Free · No signup. Your names and amounts stay on your device.
Pick a state for the return deadline.
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 · blinds · appliances · 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
- What paint damage is chargeable to the deposit?
- Holes, unauthorized colors, crayon or smoke damage, and excessive marking are chargeable — but still prorated against paint's 2–3 year life. The useful life commonly assigned to interior paint is 2–3 years, so the charge is prorated by how much of it remained.
- What counts as normal wear here?
- Faded paint, minor scuffs, and small nail holes after a normal tenancy are wear and tear — repainting is generally the landlord's cost.
- How is the chargeable amount calculated?
- Multiply the cost by the share of useful life remaining. Example: $600 at 3 years old on a 3-year life leaves 0%, so about $0 is typically chargeable.