Landlords deduct 'turnover costs' from deposits for legally-required maintenance

When tenants move out after a multi-year tenancy, landlords routinely charge for interior painting, carpet replacement, and appliance cleaning against the security deposit. In most states, these are considered normal wear and tear -- paint fades, carpet wears, appliances age -- and are the landlord's cost of doing business, not the tenant's liability. But landlords bundle these legitimate turnover costs with minor tenant-caused damage (a nail hole, a scuff mark) on a single itemized statement, making it impossible for the tenant to distinguish deductible damage from illegal charges without consulting an attorney. The amounts are calibrated to be annoying but not worth litigating: $200 for 'cleaning,' $150 for 'paint touch-up,' $100 for 'carpet spot treatment.' At $450 total, no rational tenant will spend a day in small claims court. This persists because the definition of 'normal wear and tear' is vague in most state statutes, giving landlords plausible deniability, and the economics of small-dollar disputes favor the repeat player (landlord) over the one-time player (tenant).