Fair wear and tear is the normal deterioration that comes from everyday living, such as faded paintwork or light wear to carpets, and a landlord in Scotland cannot charge a tenant for it. Dirt, damage beyond normal use and missing items are different, and they are where most end-of-tenancy disputes begin.
Most tenancy disputes start quietly, with a difference in standards. A tenant moves out thinking the property is acceptable. A landlord or agent walks in and sees a different picture: grease in the kitchen, limescale in bathrooms, stained mattresses, marked walls, dirty appliances, rubbish left behind or items not returned in the condition expected. Our guide to renting with Infiniti explains what to expect when your tenancy ends.
What counts as fair wear and tear?
The phrase fair wear and tear matters most at this point, and it is often misunderstood.
Landlords cannot charge for gradual deterioration through normal use, but they can seek reasonable sums to put the property back to the condition it should have been left in, or for unpaid rent. That is why inventories, exit checks, photographs and records all matter. Any disputed deduction can be referred to the deposit scheme for an independent decision.
Why cleaning causes so many disputes
In practice, cleaning is one of the biggest causes of friction because it sits in an awkward middle ground. Tenants may feel they cleaned. Landlords may feel the standard was nowhere near enough. That is why vague expectations are so unhelpful. Clean means different things to different people unless the original condition is properly recorded. Our guide on how to leave a rented property well covers what a thorough final clean involves.
How to settle it fairly
The fairest approach is usually the simplest one: compare the move-out condition with the move-in condition, allow for ordinary use, and keep the discussion tied to evidence rather than emotion.
That is not always exciting, but it is usually the difference between a sensible resolution and an avoidable argument. If a disagreement does reach the deposit scheme, Shelter Scotland explains how to get your deposit back, and our article on fair and unfair deposit deductions sets out what a landlord can charge for.
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