Quick Answer
California does not set a statutory depreciation schedule for carpet or paint. What Civil Code § 1950.5 does say is that you may claim from the deposit only amounts reasonably necessary for the purposes in subdivision (b), which include repairing damage the tenant caused, exclusive of ordinary wear and tear, and you may not charge for ordinary wear and tear or its cumulative effects. In practice, legal-aid guides and small claims courts apply a remaining-useful-life test to a damaged item, so you charge the item’s remaining value instead of the price of a new one. Statute text last checked October 2, 2026.
Key Takeaways
- Wear and tear is off the table. Section 1950.5(e) bars a claim for ordinary wear and tear or its effects, including wear that built up over more than one tenancy.
- Charge the remaining value. Legal-aid guidance puts carpet at roughly 8 to 10 years and paint at roughly 3 years, and those are benchmarks, not statute.
- Cleaning means the move-in level. Section 1950.5(b)(3) lets you clean to the level of cleanliness the unit had at the start of the tenancy, not above it.
- Documents carry the claim. Photographs, the install date, and the invoice show what the item was worth.
- Your statement is due in 21 days. Section 1950.5(h) sets the deadline for the itemized statement.
1. What You May and May Not Charge
Section 1950.5(b) limits the uses of a deposit. Two matter for floors and walls:
- (b)(2) covers repair of damage to the premises, exclusive of ordinary wear and tear, caused by the tenant or by a guest or licensee of the tenant.
- (b)(3) covers cleaning needed to return the unit to the same level of cleanliness it had at the start of the tenancy.
Section 1950.5(e) adds that you may claim only amounts reasonably necessary for those purposes, and that you may not assert a claim for ordinary wear and tear or its effects.
Ordinary wear and tear is the gradual deterioration that comes with living in a unit:
- Flattened carpet in hallways and doorways.
- Furniture dents in the carpet pile.
- Sun fading of blinds, drapes, or flooring.
- Light scuffs and small nail holes from hanging pictures.
Damage beyond wear and tear comes from accident, carelessness, or abuse:
- Burns, large stains, or pet urine that has soaked through the carpet.
- Large holes in drywall or doors that were kicked in.
- Unapproved dark paint or glued-on wall coverings.
- Broken fixtures, cracked tile, or shattered mirrors.
2. The Remaining-Useful-Life Test
The statute does not give a table of useful lives. The test comes from the reasonableness standard in § 1950.5(e), and legal-aid guides describe it the same way: a tenant who damages an older item owes its remaining value, not the cost of a new one. Common benchmarks are 8 to 10 years for carpet and about 3 years for paint. A court may use different numbers, so use the life you can support with the product’s warranty or your records.
The arithmetic is:
Deduction = replacement cost × (useful life − age) ÷ useful life
Example. A tenant leaves after four years with pet urine soaked through a bedroom carpet that cost $1,600 to install, using an 8-year benchmark:
- Remaining life: 8 − 4 = 4 years, or half.
- Deduction: $1,600 × 4 ÷ 8 = $800.
Charging the full $1,600 would hand you a new carpet at the tenant’s cost, so keep the deduction at the remaining value. If the carpet was already past its benchmark life when the damage happened, the remaining value is zero.
3. Paint
Apply the same test to paint, using about 3 years as the benchmark. A wall repainted two years before move-out has about one-third of its life left, so a tenant who damaged it owes about one-third of the repainting cost. Paint older than the benchmark carries no deduction for ordinary scuffs, because repainting between tenants is an ordinary cost of renting.
If a tenant painted without your written permission, you may charge the documented cost to return the walls to the move-in color, such as the primer and labor. Keep the quote or invoice and photographs of the walls before and after.
4. Documents That Support the Claim
- Move-in condition record, with the carpet’s install date if you know it.
- Move-in photographs. Section 1950.5(g) addresses photographs at move-in for tenancies beginning on or after July 1, 2025, and at move-out from April 1, 2025.
- Move-out photographs that match the move-in angles.
- The invoice or receipt for the original installation, or a dated estimate.
- The repair invoice for the work you are charging.
When repair or cleaning charges exceed $125, § 1950.5(h)(2) has you attach copies of the documents with your statement. Read the exceptions in (h) before you send it.
5. Your Statement and the Penalty for Bad Faith
You send an itemized statement and any refund within 21 days after the tenant vacates (§ 1950.5(h)). If you cannot finish the work in time, subdivision (h) lets you send a good-faith estimate and follow up within 14 days after the work. See the deadline guide. A bad-faith retention can add statutory damages of up to twice the deposit, on top of actual damages.
6. Summary
| Item | Ordinary wear (no charge) | Damage (charge remaining value) |
|---|---|---|
| Carpet | Traffic lanes, furniture dents | Soaked pet urine, burns, tears |
| Walls and paint | Small nail holes, light scuffs | Large holes, unapproved paint |
| Blinds | Dust, sun yellowing | Snapped slats, missing cords |
| Counters | Light wear near the sink | Knife gouges, burn rings |
7. Questions Owners Ask
Is there an official depreciation table? Section 1950.5 contains none. The 8-to-10-year carpet and 3-year paint figures come from legal-aid and court practice, so treat them as benchmarks.
Can I charge for a full repaint after a long tenancy? Not for ordinary wear. Charge only for damage beyond wear and tear, at its remaining value.
What if I do not know how old the carpet is? Look for the install invoice, a prior tenant’s move-in record, or a flooring-supplier record. A court can doubt a number you cannot support.
What This Guide Does Not Cover
This guide covers wear and tear and depreciation for California residential deposits under Civil Code § 1950.5. It describes the statute and common practice as of the check date above and does not predict how a court will rule on your facts.
It does not cover:
- Commercial tenancies and industrial floor coatings.
- Structural defects and water intrusion.
- Tax depreciation under the Internal Revenue Code.
- Exterior and common-area assessments in a homeowners association.