What counts as fair wear and tear in Singapore?

Fair wear and tear is the gradual deterioration that happens from normal, reasonable use of a property over time — faded paint, minor scuffs on walls and floors, slight carpet flattening, and small marks that occur even when a tenant is careful. In Singapore it is a contractual and common-law concept, not a specific statute, and a landlord cannot deduct from the deposit for it.

What is the difference between fair wear and tear and damage?

Fair wear and tear is unavoidable deterioration from ordinary use; damage is harm caused by accident, neglect or misuse beyond normal use — such as large stains, holes, burns, broken fixtures or unauthorised alterations. Tenants are responsible for damage; landlords absorb fair wear and tear.

Can a landlord deduct repainting from my deposit in Singapore?

A landlord can deduct repainting if the walls have damage beyond fair wear and tear — for example a colour change, heavy marks, or holes — or if the tenancy agreement requires repainting on exit. Light fading and minor scuffs after a long tenancy are usually fair wear and tear and should not be charged.

How is fair wear and tear assessed at the end of a tenancy?

It is assessed by comparing the move-out condition against the move-in inventory and photos, taking into account the length of the tenancy and the number of occupants. The longer the tenancy, the more wear is considered fair. A dated, photo-backed move-in inventory is the strongest evidence for both sides.

Deposit Guide

Fair Wear and Tear vs Damage in Singapore: What a Landlord Can Deduct

By REINSTATE.by MCSG · Updated 24 June 2026 · 7 min read

Fair wear and tear is the normal deterioration a property suffers from ordinary use — and a Singapore landlord cannot deduct it from your deposit. Damage, by contrast, is harm from accident, neglect or misuse, and the tenant is responsible for it. The whole deposit fight comes down to which side of that line each mark falls on.

Almost every end-of-tenancy deposit dispute in Singapore is really one argument: is this fair wear and tear, or is it damage? Get the distinction right — backed by a move-in inventory — and the deposit comes back. Here is exactly where the line sits in 2026, with clear examples on both sides.

What is fair wear and tear?

Fair wear and tear is the gradual, reasonable deterioration of a property and its fixtures from everyday living — the wear that happens no matter how careful a tenant is. In Singapore it is a contractual and common-law concept (there is no specific wear-and-tear statute for private residential leases), so what counts is judged against the tenancy agreement and the property's condition at handover.

It is the same principle that decides who pays for reinstatement at the end of a lease: the tenant restores the unit to move-in condition minus fair wear and tear; the landlord absorbs the ageing.

Fair wear and tear vs damage: the dividing line

The test is whether the deterioration came from normal use over time (landlord's cost) or from accident, neglect, misuse or alteration (tenant's cost).

Usually fair wear and tear (landlord pays)	Usually damage (tenant pays)
Paint faded or slightly yellowed over a long tenancy	Walls repainted a different colour; heavy crayon/marker marks
Minor scuffs and a few small nail holes from picture hooks	Large holes, anchor bolts, or many holes from shelving
Light traffic wear or slight flattening of carpet	Burns, tears, or deep stains on carpet or flooring
Hairline scratches on parquet from normal walking	Deep gouges, water-warped boards, cracked tiles
Worn seals or a tap that ages out naturally	Broken fixtures, missing items, appliances damaged by misuse
Slight loosening of door hinges over years	Doors off hinges, smashed glass, forced locks

Context matters: the same mark can be fair wear in a 3-year tenancy but damage in a 3-month one. Severity, cause, and length of stay all factor in.

How is fair wear and tear assessed?

There is no government inspector — it is assessed by comparing the move-out state against the move-in record. Four things drive the decision:

The move-in inventory and photos. Dated check-in photos are the single strongest piece of evidence for either side.
Length of tenancy. The longer the stay, the more wear is reasonably "fair". A two-week-old scuff is judged differently from a five-year-old one.
Number of occupants and use. A family of five wears a unit faster than a single tenant — and that wear is still fair.
The tenancy agreement. Some agreements require, for example, professional cleaning or a repaint on exit regardless of wear. Read the clauses.

What a landlord can and can't deduct

A landlord can deduct the cost of repairing genuine damage and unfulfilled obligations (e.g. agreed cleaning or repainting), but cannot deduct for fair wear and tear, and cannot use the deposit to upgrade the property or charge "betterment" — claiming the cost of brand-new replacements for old, worn items.

If a five-year-old wall needs repainting because of one tenant mark, a fair approach apportions for the paint's age — not a full new-paint charge to the tenant.

Common deposit disputes — and who's usually right

Repainting. Faded over years = landlord. Colour change, wallpaper, or heavy marks = tenant. See our deposit guide.
Nail holes. A few small picture-hook holes = fair wear; rows of anchor holes for heavy shelving = make-good.
Cleaning. Normal end-of-tenancy dirt is expected; but most agreements require the unit returned clean, so a professional clean is often the tenant's.
Aircon servicing. Frequently a contractual tenant obligation, separate from wear and tear — check the clause.

How to protect your deposit from fair-wear disputes

Photograph everything at move-in — dated, room by room. This is your best defence.
Repaint to the original colour if you changed it, before handover.
Fix genuine damage early, against the inventory — not a blanket "make it new".
Get a written, itemised quote for any contested make-good so deductions are transparent.

If you can't agree, the deposit can be disputed at the Small Claims Tribunals (for claims within its limit), where your move-in photos do the heavy lifting.

Facing a deposit deduction you think is unfair?

Send us the unit, your lease and the landlord's claim — we'll assess what's genuinely fair wear and tear versus reinstatement, quote any real make-good, and help you hand back clean for a full deposit return.

WhatsApp us for a quote →

Fair wear and tear in Singapore private residential tenancies is a contractual / common-law concept assessed against the tenancy agreement and move-in condition; there is no specific wear-and-tear statute. Guidance reflects standard Singapore tenancy practice in 2026 — always read your own agreement and confirm any deduction against a written quote.