Tenants moving out , what are they responsible for fixing ?

Question

I have long term (4 yr) tenants moving out. Are they responsible for patching the small holes in the walls from their paintings that they hung up?

PJ M. · Answer

I consider a few holes from hanging pictures/paintings normal wear and tear.  To me it's the normal use of a house to hand a few things on the walls.  Nothing strange or excessive about that.  Now if they have a full wall collage going on where there are 40 or 50 holes, yeah, I charge for that because that's excessive use.

I also ask the tenant's to leave them as the years have taught me that most tenants do a poor job of fixing it and I end up having to sand, or in some cases dig out, what they used to fill the holes.  Less work means faster turnover and a happier landlord.

Hubert Kim · Answer

This may vary by city/state. In general, tenants are required to leave a rental unit in the same condition as it was in the beginning of tenancy. So technically, although you may be able to argue any holes in the walls is damage, it will depend on the size and number of holes. If they are "reasonable", it may be difficult to justify any charges for repair in court (worst-case scenario). If they are obviously "excessive" then it may be very easy to justify.

That said, after 3 years painting is generally no longer deducted from a security deposit. If the holes are not large, they should be relatively easily fixed when repainted.