Tuesday Tip: Repair Charges & Normal Wear-&-Tear

Posted On: October 27, 2020

Residents often call Navigate, wondering why management withheld the tenant’s security deposit. This week, Corporate Trainer Vickie Bell discusses the difference between ordinary wear-&-tear due to aging and tenant damage due to neglect. This video is full of examples. You may find the information helpful when submitting a Special Claim.

Appendix 5C from HUD

EXAMPLES (Not all inclusive) of TENANT DAMAGE versus “NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR”

Normal costs of turning over an apartment after a tenant vacates may not be included on a claim to HUD for tenant damages. The costs an owner incurs for the basic cleaning and repairing of such items necessary to make a unit ready for occupancy by the next tenant are part of the costs of doing business. The following is a list of items typically attributable to routine use or “normal wear and tear”.

Normal Wear and Tear

Fading, peeling, or cracked paint
Slightly torn or faded wallpaper
Small chips in plaster
Nail holes, pin holes, or cracks in wall
Door sticking from humidity
Cracked window pane from faulty foundation or building settling
Floors needing coat of varnish
Carpet faded or worn thin from walking
Loose grouting and bathroom tiles
Worn or scratched enamel in old bathtubs, sinks, or toilets
Rusty shower rod
Partially clogged sinks caused by aging pipes
Dirty or faded lamp or window shades

Tenant damages usually require more extensive repair, and at greater cost than “normal wear and tear”, and are often the result of a tenant’s abuse or negligence that is above and beyond normal wear and tear.

Tenant Damage