Fair wear and tear

wair und TAIR

Neutral Neutral

What it really means

The normal, gradual ageing of a property from everyday living — faded carpets, small scuffs on walls. Landlords cannot take money from your deposit for fair wear and tear, only for actual damage. Deposit schemes apply this rule in disputes.

Chinese explanation

日常居住造成的正常损耗——地毯褪色、墙面轻微磨痕等。房东不能因正常损耗扣押金，只能就实际损坏索赔。押金保护计划在争议中会依此裁定。

Example conversation

A: They want to charge us for the faded curtains. B: That’s fair wear and tear — dispute it through the deposit scheme.

A：他们想让我们赔褪色的窗帘。 B：那属于正常损耗——通过押金保护计划申诉。

What you could say back

“I believe that counts as fair wear and tear, not damage.”

Related phrases

Deposit deductions Check-out Inventory

Official sources

Rules and amounts change — confirm important details with the official source.

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Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team · Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake