Which Damages Must Tenants Be Responsible for After Lease Ends?

EP.2 For an in-depth dive into
room damages after the lease ends.
This time, let’s talk about the other side:
Which points are
#tenants responsible for damages?

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1️⃣ Floor
✅ Laminate floors that swell, warp,
or have deep scratches.
Caused by letting them get wet
or placing heavy objects incorrectly.
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✅ Cracked or chipped tiles
from dropping items.
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💡 Tenant must pay full cost,
because this is damage from improper use.
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Q: Then the next question,
do tenants pay only for the spot
or the whole area?
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This depends on the nature of the damage
and the assessment of the technician.
If it can be fixed only in certain spots,
the owner should charge accordingly.
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But often,
we find swollen floors
where the whole plank comes off.
In this case, it requires repairing the whole area.
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Laminate, vinyl, tile floors
have color and texture lots
that can never be 100% identical.
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Even if you buy the same brand and model,
the shade will differ
due to sunlight, usage,
fading or color change over time.
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Replacing only one plank
will cause aesthetic inconsistency,
creating a value loss.
This principle is the same
as with wallpaper repair.
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2️⃣ Walls
✅ Wall holes drilled without owner permission
or not restored.
💡 Damage is counted per spot.
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3️⃣ Windows, glass, and doors
✅ Broken or cracked glass
✅ Torn or damaged insect screens
✅ Hinges broken or detached from rough use
✅ Sliding glass doors off track
💡 Must repair or replace as needed.
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4️⃣ Built-in furniture & decor
✅ Deep scratches, heavy marks, peeling paint, chips, cracks
✅ Sofa, bed, covers, or mattress with tears or stains that can’t be cleaned
💡 Usually, no depreciation applied. Tenants pay full or replacement cost with equivalent model.
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Here, tenants should do their homework
to defend themselves,
so the owner doesn’t overcharge
by using cheaper items but claiming expensive replacements.
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5️⃣ Kitchen counters & sink
✅ Burn marks, heavy limescale, deep scratches
✅ Clogged pipes from food waste or grease buildup
💡 Tenant must pay for repair or part replacement.
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6️⃣ Bathroom
✅ Bathtubs, toilets, towel rails broken
✅ Mold at wall edges, grout, glass, shower partitions #excluding ceiling mold
Usually from poor maintenance, like not wiping, not cleaning, not ventilating.
💡 Surface treatment or repair cost belongs to tenant.
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🟠 Water stains or mold on window frames
Many tenants think
it’s from structural leaks.
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In reality,
if caused by leaving windows open when raining,
or not wiping,
causing frame swelling = tenant’s responsibility.
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🟠 Water stains on stone tops (e.g., synthetic stone or marble)
Marble/synthetic stone isn’t resistant to water or acid.
If tenants don’t use mats,
must pay for recoating or replacement.
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7️⃣ Moss or black mold on balcony
✅ If from not sweeping
or not cleaning,
tenant responsible.
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8️⃣ Air conditioner
Tenant responsible if
fail to clean and maintain as scheduled (usually every 6 months),
leading to system failure.
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🟠 AC water dripping, causing swollen floor
Old AC units
may form ice on pipes,
leading to water backing up and dripping.
This is NOT tenant fault.
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What tenants should do:
Immediately inform owner,
and arrange repair quickly.
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But if tenants ignore it,
allowing water to drip onto wood floors,
causing swelling,
tenant fully responsible.
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9️⃣ Washing machine
Tenant responsible if
✅ Overloading
✅ Using wrong detergent (e.g., shoe cleaner or harsh chemicals)
✅ Breaking buttons or door, cracked lid glass
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1️⃣0️⃣ Microwave or electric stove
Tenant responsible if
✅ Burns inside, heavy scorch marks
✅ Using metal containers causing sparks or fire
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1️⃣1️⃣ TV
Tenant responsible if
✅ Screen cracked or broken
✅ Remote broken from dropping or rough use
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1️⃣2️⃣ Refrigerator
Tenant responsible if
✅ Torn or detached door gasket from strong pulling
✅ Broken shelves, glass, trays
✅ Heavy ice build-up damaging internal circuits
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1️⃣3️⃣ Electric or induction cooktop
Tenant responsible if
✅ Broken glass top
✅ Permanent burn marks from unsuitable pots or pans
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1️⃣4️⃣ Water heater
Tenant responsible if
✅ Broken, cracked, or water entered from improper use
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1️⃣5️⃣ Other appliances (e.g., vacuum, water filter, built-in speakers)
Tenant responsible if
✅ Dropped or broken
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1️⃣6️⃣ Damage from pets
✅ Even if pets are allowed,
if tenant’s pets damage room property,
tenant must pay.
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1️⃣7️⃣ Bed
Common topic.
If mattress is sagging evenly
in sleeping area,
might not be tenant’s responsibility.
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But if sagging at the edge
or single spots,
from tenant habitually sitting on edge,
or heavy weight,
tenant responsible.
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1️⃣8️⃣ Odor
All kinds of unwanted odors:
musty, cigarette, pet, body, sweat odors.
If these weren’t there before move-in,
tenant responsible.
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There are many other points,
but to summarize simply:
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✅ Anything from abnormal use or negligence = tenant responsible
✅ Anything from normal wear or building structure = owner responsible
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💬 What tenants should do before move-out:
✅ Check these points themselves first
✅ Take photos documenting condition at move-in
✅ Repair or clean to reduce charges
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It’s tenants’ duty to keep full records.
Any sign of possible damage,
notify landlord early
to prevent conflicts later.
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Join the discussion at
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