Can I charge my tenant for redecorating?

When can I charge my tenant for redecorating?

When the tenant caused more than normal wear, or redecorated without permission, and you can show it. mydeposits draws three lines: light marks from everyday use are fair wear and tear and no breach; heavy marks or damage are a breach; and redecorating without permission is a breach (mydeposits).

TDS decides by comparing the décor at the start and end of the tenancy, and won’t make an award solely because the tenancy agreement says the tenant must redecorate (TDS). It is a common claim: redecoration featured in 31% of TDS disputes in 2024/25 (TDS) and 10.9% of DPS deposit claims in 2025 (DPS).

Are scuffs, Blu-tack and nail holes fair wear and tear?

Small scuffs and faded paint are. TDS says “Minor scuffs or faded paint are fair wear and tear” (TDS), and mydeposits agrees (mydeposits). TDS also expects more wear to decoration in a hallway, kitchen or bathroom than in a bedroom or study (TDS).

Marks from Blu-tack, tape, nails and pins are less clear-cut. TDS sees deductions claimed for them, and says whether marks from hanging decorations are damage or wear “can be subjective” (TDS).

Holes left by fixtures are different, because filling them is a repair. In one mydeposits case, a tenant left twelve shelf holes in a lounge wall. The adjudicator treated filling them as a repair that “would not be needed following any length of tenancy”, and awarded the full £150, separately from the redecoration (mydeposits).

How long does decoration last, according to the schemes?

Not long, and less in busy rooms. Each scheme publishes its own figures:

• TDS: 3–5 years, assuming average size and use (TDS)
• DPS: hall, landing, stairs, kitchen and bathrooms 2–3 years; living rooms about 4; bedrooms about 5; dining rooms about 6 (DPS)
• mydeposits: hall, landing, stairs, kitchen and bathroom up to 3 years; living and dining rooms up to 4; bedrooms up to 5 (mydeposits)

mydeposits’ case studies also use approximately five years for décor in a rental.

DPS says an award for redecoration is unlikely if the tenant lived there five years or more, “as the landlord would probably have needed to redecorate anyway” (DPS). In new builds, thinner walls and painted surfaces in busy areas need redecorating more often, so the joint guide says an adjudicator may consider anything more than “a simple contribution” unreasonable. Our post on apportioning deductions shows how to turn these figures into a claim.

What did mydeposits award for children’s drawings on the walls?

In the same mydeposits case as the shelf holes, a family with two young children had rented for three and a half years, and the walls hadn’t been newly painted at the start (mydeposits). The children had drawn on the walls and left heavy scuffs, and the landlord claimed £900 to redecorate.

The adjudicator awarded 20% of it, £180, because décor in a rental lasts “approximately five years” and this decoration was near the end of its life. With the £150 for the shelf holes, the landlord received £330 and the tenant £720. That was one decision on its own evidence, not a rule, but it shows how much the age of the paint matters.

What if the tenant repainted without permission?

In one mydeposits case, the tenant repainted walls in various colours without written permission, leaving them patchy with paint splashes (mydeposits). The landlord’s invoice was £1,237 for the whole property, including ceilings and woodwork. The adjudicator awarded the share for the living room and two bedrooms only, allowing for two years’ wear: £742.20 to the landlord and £494.80 to the tenant.

mydeposits notes that permission “does not legally need to be in writing”, but written permission is best practice, including the colour to return the walls to. Even where permission was given, an allowance for reasonable wear and tear must be made. Where a tenant redecorates to a good standard in neutral or similar colours and leaves the décor in the same or better condition, mydeposits says a claim “is likely to be unsuccessful as there would be no evident loss”. TDS, too, says it may make no award if the tenant improved the décor (TDS).

Does the property have to be returned freshly painted?

No. DPS lists this among common misconceptions: a property freshly painted for the start of a tenancy doesn’t need to be returned freshly painted (DPS). The tenant owes décor in the condition it started, allowing for fair wear and tear.

Can I charge for smoke staining or mould?

For smoking, in one mydeposits case a tenant smoked in breach of the agreement for nearly three years, in a home decorated two weeks before the tenancy began. The bedroom and living room were heavily discoloured, with a strong smell. The landlord’s estimate covered the whole property, but only those two rooms were awarded, with an allowance for wear (mydeposits). Photos can’t show a smell (TDS), so the check-out report needs to record it.

Mould needs more. TDS looks for clear evidence that the mould arose during the tenancy because the tenant didn’t take preventative measures (TDS). GOV.UK guidance says “it is totally unreasonable to blame damp and mould in the home on ‘lifestyle choices’”, and landlords must tackle causes such as building defects and poor ventilation (GOV.UK). In one mydeposits case, bathroom mould present at check-in, with a broken extractor fan the tenant had reported, got no award. Bedroom mould the tenant never reported, which a decorator put down to poor ventilation and furniture against the wall, got 45% of the bedroom redecoration: £112 of the £550 disputed (mydeposits).

What evidence supports a redecoration claim?

TDS says photos and video “are generally of little value in support of decorating claims, unless they are able to show obvious damage or deterioration” (TDS). The written reports carry the claim, so gather:

• a check-in report describing the décor: when it was last decorated, with the invoice, and any marks or defects already there; TDS won’t assume décor was in good condition if the report doesn’t describe it
• a check-out report in the same terms, room by room, so each wall can be compared
• an invoice or quote broken down by room and task: in one mydeposits case, a one-line invoice to “supply materials and redecorate 2 bed flat” led to a proportionate award for the areas in breach only (mydeposits)
• written permission or refusal to redecorate, and the colour agreed for the end of the tenancy
• receipts for materials and a reasonable charge for your time, if you did the work yourself, which mydeposits says must be less than a contractor would charge (mydeposits)

mydeposits also suggests a visit before check-out, so the tenant can put marks right before they leave.

Our guide to what deposit adjudicators look for covers the rest of the evidence, and how to dispute a deposit deduction covers the process, with scheme guides for TDS, DPS and mydeposits. TenancyVaults suggests that share from the item’s age and your scheme’s lifespan figures, for you to check.