Security Deposit Deductions for Pet Damage
Pet damage often spans several items — carpet, pad, subfloor, doors — each prorated separately by its own useful life.
Normal wear — not chargeable
There is no 'normal wear' allowance for pet damage itself, but the items it affects are still depreciated by age.
Damage — chargeable
Urine saturation into pad and subfloor, chewing, and scratching are chargeable. Deep contamination that requires sealing the subfloor is a separate line, prorated by the subfloor's long life.
Worked example
Cost to fix: $1,200 · Useful life: 7 years · Age at move-out: 3 years · Life remaining: 57%. Typically chargeable: $686 — not the full $1,200.
Document with photos and, for odor, note the remediation performed. Split the work into real line items rather than one lump 'pet damage' charge.
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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 · paint · blinds · appliances
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 pet damage to the deposit?
- Urine saturation into pad and subfloor, chewing, and scratching are chargeable. Deep contamination that requires sealing the subfloor is a separate line, prorated by the subfloor's long life. The useful life commonly assigned to the items pet damage affects is 5–10 years, so the charge is prorated by how much of it remained.
- What counts as normal wear here?
- There is no 'normal wear' allowance for pet damage itself, but the items it affects are still depreciated by age.
- How is the chargeable amount calculated?
- Multiply the cost by the share of useful life remaining. Example: $1200 at 3 years old on a 7-year life leaves 57%, so about $686 is typically chargeable.