Moving out is stressful enough without worrying that a few small marks on the wall will cost you part of your deposit. The good news is that most wall damage is cheap and quick to fix, and a lot of it is not something a landlord can fairly charge for at all.

Here, we’ll discuss what counts as normal wear and tear, how to document the state of the property, how to repair the most common wall problems yourself, and what to do if you think a deduction is unfair. It is written for tenants in England. Rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland differ, so check your own tenancy agreement and the official government guidance for your area.

The short version

• Small, ordinary marks from everyday living are generally treated as fair wear and tear. Damage beyond that is where deductions happen.
• Photograph everything before you hand the keys back. Evidence decides most deposit disputes.
• Small nail and screw holes are a ten-minute DIY fix with the right filler and a little paint.
• Large holes, widespread damage or anything structural are worth getting done properly.
• If a deduction looks unfair, you can challenge it through your deposit protection scheme.

What counts as fair wear and tear?

Landlords can claim for damage you caused, but they cannot charge you for a property simply being lived in. The line between the two is the most common source of disagreement, and it depends on the facts of each case.

In general terms:

• Usually treated as wear and tear: light scuffs along walls and skirting, minor marks from furniture, faded paint from sunlight, and a small number of picture-hook holes if the tenancy allowed pictures.
• Usually treated as damage: large holes, deep gouges, crayon or marker on walls, water stains from a leak you failed to report, and a high number of screw or nail holes from things like shelving or a TV bracket.

Things that often tip the balance include how long you lived there, the age and condition of the paint at the start, and what your tenancy agreement says about hanging items. If you are unsure where your marks fall, our post on whether a landlord can charge for nail holes goes through it in more detail.

Step 1: Document the property before you touch anything

Before you start any repairs, record the current condition of every room. This protects you whether or not the landlord later raises a complaint.

1. Take clear, dated photos of each wall, including close-ups of any marks or holes.
2. Compare them with your check-in inventory and any photos from when you moved in.
3. Note anything that was already there at the start of the tenancy.
4. Take a second set of photos after you have finished repairing and cleaning.

This takes about half an hour and is the single most useful thing you can do. Our [end of tenancy photo checklist] covers exactly what to capture, room by room.

Step 2: Identify what needs fixing

Walk through each room with the inventory in hand and sort what you find into three groups: things you can ignore as normal wear, things you can fix yourself, and things that need a professional.

Problem	Usual fix	DIY or pro?
Small nail or picture-hook holes	Filler, light sanding, touch-up paint	DIY
Screw and wall-anchor holes (from shelves or a TV bracket)	Filler suited to the wall type, then paint	DIY for a few, pro if there are many
Dents and scuffs	Light sanding or cleaning, then touch-up paint	DIY
Marker, crayon or grease marks	Stain-blocking primer, then paint	DIY
Large holes in plasterboard	Patch, joint compound and repaint	Pro or confident DIY
Damp or water staining	Find and fix the cause first	Pro

Step 3: Repair the common problems

Small nail and picture holes

These are the easiest repair and the most common reason for deposit disputes, which is a shame because they are so quick to fix.

1. Brush or wipe away loose dust and flaking paint from around the hole.
2. Press a small amount of ready-mixed filler into the hole with a putty knife, slightly overfilling it.
3. Scrape the surface flush with the wall and leave it to dry. Check the pack for drying time.
4. Sand lightly with fine sandpaper until smooth.
5. Wipe away the dust and touch up with matching paint.

For a full walkthrough, see [how to fill nail holes in a wall]. If you want to know which product works best, we compared the options in [our guide to the best filler for small holes], and tested a popular one-step product in our Red Devil One Time filler review.

Screw and anchor holes

Holes left by shelves, mirrors and TV brackets are larger and deeper than nail holes. Wall anchors may need to be removed or pushed in below the surface before filling, and deeper holes may need filling in two layers so the filler does not sink as it dries.

If you are taking down a TV bracket, our pos on [fixing screw and anchor holes after removing a TV mount] explains how to deal with the bigger holes cleanly.

Dents, scuffs and marks

Many scuffs can be cleaned off with a damp cloth or a soft sponge before you reach for paint. For small dents, a thin skim of filler, sanded smooth, usually does the job. Our guide to [fixing dents and scuffs on walls] covers sofa marks, luggage scrapes and similar damage.

Larger holes in plasterboard

A hole bigger than a few centimetres needs a patch rather than filler alone, because filler on its own will crack or sink. A patch repair involves cutting the damaged area into a neat shape, fitting a backing patch, applying joint compound in thin layers and sanding between coats. It is a manageable job if you are comfortable with DIY, but it is easy to leave a visible bump. See [how to patch a large hole in plasterboard] for the full method.

Step 4: Get the paint right

A perfect filler repair can still show if the paint does not match. Old paint fades and yellows, so a fresh tin of the same colour often looks slightly different.

• Find out what paint was originally used, either from your landlord, your inventory or a note left inside a cupboard.
• Take a small chip of paint to a decorating shop and ask for a colour match.
• Test the colour in a hidden spot first and let it dry fully before judging it, as wet paint looks different.
• Apply thin coats and feather the edges outward so the repair blends into the wall.
• If you are not sure of the colour at all, repainting the whole wall often looks better than a visible patch.

Our [guide to matching touch-up paint] has more tips.

When to call a professional

DIY is the right choice for most small repairs. It is worth getting help when:

• There are many holes across several walls and you are short on time.
• The wall surface is damaged beyond a simple fill, for example crumbling plaster.
• You are about to move into a new place and want shelves, mirrors, TVs or heavy fixtures put up properly so you do not create problems for your next deposit.
• You have furniture to assemble in your new home and would rather spend your first weekend unpacking than decoding instructions.

Flat Pack Ninja covers Camden, Islington, Hackney, Barnet, Brent, Westminster and Haringey. If you are settling into a new place, we can help with professional wall mounting, same day TV mounting, lighting installation and flat pack furniture assembly, using the right fixings for your wall type so the job is done once and done well.

Prevent the problem next time

The cheapest wall repair is the one you never have to do. A few habits help:

• Check your tenancy agreement first. Some landlords allow picture hooks or small fixings, some do not.
• Use the right fixing for the wall. Plasterboard, brick and stud walls all need different anchors, and the wrong one makes bigger holes.
• Use fewer, better-placed holes. Measure carefully so you are not drilling twice.
• Consider no-drill options for lightweight items. See our guide to [hanging pictures without making holes].
• Ask your landlord in writing before putting up anything heavy such as a TV bracket or large shelving.

If you think a deduction is unfair

If your landlord proposes deducting money for wall damage and you disagree, you do not have to simply accept it.

1. Ask for an itemised list of the deductions and the evidence behind each one, such as photos, receipts or quotes.
2. Compare it with your own evidence, including the check-in inventory, your photos and the age of the paint.
3. Respond in writing, politely and with reference to the evidence, and say which items you dispute and why.
4. Use your deposit protection scheme. In England, deposits for most assured shorthold tenancies must be held in a government-approved scheme, and each scheme has a free dispute resolution service. An independent adjudicator looks at the evidence from both sides.

The landlord generally has to show that any loss was caused by you and that the amount claimed is reasonable, and they cannot charge you simply to bring an older property up to a better standard. For up-to-date official guidance, check the government website or the scheme your deposit is held in.