Quick answer. Alberta's Residential Tenancies Act permits security deposit deductions for damage caused by the tenant beyond ordinary wear and tear. RTDRS practice has established a fairly predictable case-law-informed line. Not deductible (wear and tear): faded paint, small nail holes from hung pictures, minor carpet compression in traffic areas, worn caulking, minor scratches on hardwood or laminate from furniture movement, worn cabinet hinges, tarnished fixtures from age, slight discoloration around door handles. Deductible (damage): large holes in walls (fist-sized or larger), cigarette burns on any surface, pet urine stains through carpet padding, chipped or broken countertops, missing or broken fixtures, unauthorised paint colours (deduction covers repainting to landlord's colour, not both colours), damaged or destroyed appliances beyond age-appropriate wear, and any deliberate destruction. The line moves with time: what would be minor wear in a 5-year tenancy is damage in a 6-month tenancy.
The RTA Framework
Section 32 of Alberta's Residential Tenancies Act permits deposit deductions for 'damages caused during the tenancy other than reasonable wear and tear.' Two elements matter: damage (something beyond normal use), and reasonable wear and tear (excluded from deductibility). What counts as 'reasonable' has been shaped by RTDRS decisions over time and by comparable analysis in other Canadian jurisdictions with similar frameworks. The framework is deliberately flexible; there is no schedule of specific dollar amounts or exhaustive list. Instead, the RTDRS analyst applies a reasonable-person test with reference to the tenancy length, the item's expected lifespan, and the specific circumstances.
The Wear vs Damage Table (Sourced from RTDRS Practice)
The following categorisations align with published RTDRS practice guidance and property management industry references. They are directional and item-specific; any specific dispute is decided on its own facts:
- Nail holes — Wear: small holes from a 6-penny nail (approximately 2 inches long) used for hanging picture frames. Damage: large holes from wall anchors, flat-screen TV brackets, or any fixture exceeding a 6-penny nail size.
- Paint — Wear: general fading over time, particularly on south/west-facing walls. Damage: spot painting, patching, or touch-up required because of intentional alteration or damage.
- Caulking — Wear: faded caulking around bathtub or tiles. Damage: missing or completely removed caulking.
- Hard water deposits — Wear: light mineral deposits from normal use. Damage: heavy buildup of dirt, mold, mildew, or water stains from a preventable leak or unreported drip.
- Keys — Wear: worn-out keys from normal use. Damage: broken, lost, or unreturned keys (negligence).
- Door hardware — Wear: loose or stubborn hinges or handles from normal wear. Damage: broken or missing locks, or doors damaged by forced entry or being kicked open.
- Carpet — Wear: worn traffic patterns from normal foot traffic. Damage: torn, burned, stained, ripped, scratched, snagged, or pet-damaged carpet.
- Wood floors — Wear: faded finish from everyday use. Damage: scratched, gouged, warped, or water-damaged floors.
- Linoleum — Wear: thin, worn surface from regular use. Damage: tears, chips, or holes.
- Countertops — Wear: worn surface from daily use. Damage: burned, cut, stained, scratched, or water-damaged countertops.
- Drywall — Wear: small cracks from building settlement. Damage: holes in walls caused by misuse, negligence, or abuse.
- Wallpaper — Wear: loose or slightly wrinkled. Damage: ripped, marked-up, or missing.
- Blinds — Wear: worn or heat-blistered slats and strings. Damage: broken, bent, cracked slats; broken strings or missing hardware.
- Window/door screens — Wear: dirty screens. Damage: torn or missing screens.
- Faucet handles — Wear: loose or inoperable from normal wear. Damage: broken or missing handle.
- Toilet — Wear: a running toilet from normal wear. Damage: broken seat, tank top, or chipped/cracked bowl.
- Odour — Wear: musty odour from age. Damage: persistent urine or pet odour throughout the unit.
- Smoke detectors — Wear: non-functioning detector with dead batteries. Damage: missing, detached, or removed detector.
- Light fixtures — Wear: non-functioning fixture from burnt-out or wrong-type bulbs. Damage: missing fixture, or damaged fixture.
- Drains — Wear: slow drainage from normal use. Damage: clogged drains from hair, toys, or non-flushable objects.
Source: Davies Management Rebuild (Calgary property management reference), which aligns its list with RTDRS practice.
The Time Factor
The tenancy length matters. A carpet that shows visible traffic-path wear after a 5-year tenancy is expected wear. The same wear after a 6-month tenancy is unusual and may indicate improper care that supports a partial deduction. Appliances are similarly age-adjusted: a stove element failing after 2 years of use in a 15-year-old stove is wear; the same element failure caused by clear misuse (deep scoring, foil melted into the element) is damage.
The Depreciation Principle (RTDRS Practice)
RTDRS practice assesses wear vs damage by evaluating the condition against the expected lifespan and normal depreciation of the item, taking the length of tenancy into account. Longer occupancy permits greater allowance for wear. For deductions on items with defined lifespans (carpet, paint, appliances), a depreciation calculation applies. Sourced example (from Alberta property management industry practice): a 7-year-old carpet with a 10-year expected life allows the landlord to charge only 30 percent of replacement cost — the remaining 3/10 useful life. A tenant who damages a carpet at year 5 of a 10-year life supports approximately 50 percent of replacement cost as a deduction, not the full amount. Landlords who claim full replacement value regardless of age typically lose the excess at RTDRS.
Common Grey-Area Situations
Repainting
Standard rental paint life is 3 to 5 years. If the tenancy was 4 years and the walls show typical scuffs, marks, and minor wear, the landlord repaints as an operating cost (not deducted from deposit). If the tenancy was 8 months and the walls show significant marks beyond casual use (crayon on walls, wall-mounted TV brackets creating drywall damage, deep gouges), a partial or full paint deduction may be supportable.
Cleaning
Standard turnover cleaning between tenancies is a landlord operating cost, not deductible from deposit. Additional cleaning for extreme conditions (grease-caked stove hood, mildew in bathroom, pet fur throughout despite pet cleaning requirements) may support a partial deduction with documentation. RTDRS typically allows $200 to $600 for above-standard cleaning in extreme cases and rejects amounts for standard turnover work.
Carpet Cleaning vs Replacement
Professional carpet cleaning at turnover is often a landlord cost. Carpet replacement due to damage (burns, stains, pet urine through padding) is deductible with depreciation. A tenant cannot be charged for carpet replacement due to normal traffic wear regardless of the visible appearance.
Pet Damage
Pet-caused damage is deductible even if a pet was authorised in the lease. Scratched doors and doorframes, urine stains through carpet padding, chewed baseboards, and pet-odour remediation costs are common categories. Where a pet deposit was collected (within the one-month total cap), it applies first before drawing on the general security deposit.
Smoke Damage
Where the lease prohibits smoking and the tenant smoked, smoke damage remediation (paint sealing, drapery cleaning, deep carpet cleaning, possibly HVAC cleaning) is typically deductible. Cigarette burns are also deductible. Where smoking was permitted (rare in modern leases), the baseline wear and tear expectation shifts, and remediation is often not deductible.
Documentation Requirements for Any Deduction
- Reference to the specific damage documented in the move-out condition report.
- Matched photographs from move-in (showing the pre-existing condition) and move-out (showing the changed condition).
- Actual repair invoices or written estimates from qualified contractors.
- For depreciation calculations, the age of the damaged item and the reasonable expected lifespan.
- For cleaning charges, the specific cleaning invoice with itemisation of above-standard work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I deduct for paint if the tenant painted the walls?
If the tenant painted without landlord consent, yes. The deduction covers the cost to repaint the walls to the landlord's original neutral colour once, not the cost to prime plus repaint plus additional coats. If the paint colour was mutually agreed and documented, the tenant may not be liable for repainting.
How do I calculate depreciation on damaged items?
For items with defined lifespans, take the actual cost to repair or replace, multiply by the fraction of remaining useful life. Carpet at year 5 of a 10-year lifespan supports 50 percent of replacement cost. Paint at year 3 of a 4-year cycle supports 25 percent of repaint cost. Appliances similar. Show your work in the itemised statement.
What if the tenant did the damage but I did not notice at move-out?
You have 10 business days from the tenant's move-out to provide the itemised statement. Damage discovered after that window is much harder to recover. If discovered within the 10 days and you have evidence tying it to the tenant, add it to the statement with supporting photographs and documentation.
Can I deduct my own labour if I do the repair myself?
In practice, RTDRS is skeptical of landlord self-labour charges. Materials cost is generally deductible with receipts. Landlord labour is often not, particularly at rates that appear inflated. Hire a contractor and bill actual invoice, or accept that self-repair typically covers materials only.
Does UrbanLease apply this framework to owner deposit deductions?
Yes. UrbanLease's deposit handling references the RTA wear-and-tear line, applies depreciation to age-adjusted items, and provides owners with the itemised statement supporting each deduction. Property management services provided by Chabi.ca.
Critical: Deposit Deductions Require Completed Inspection Reports
Alberta.ca is explicit on this point: 'Landlords cannot make any deduction for damages or cleaning costs from the security deposit when the tenant moves out if the inspection report requirements have not been met.' A jointly-completed move-in and move-out inspection report is the foundation of every deduction. Without them, deductions are typically disallowed even if the underlying damage is documented photographically. Landlords may still take legal action to recover costs beyond the deposit, but the deposit deduction itself cannot proceed without the required inspection reports.
Bottom Line
The wear-and-tear line in Alberta is fairly stable and predictable if applied with reference to tenancy length, item lifespan, documented condition, and completed inspection reports. Landlords who claim aggressively (full replacement cost on aged items, cleaning charges for standard turnover work, paint charges on multi-year tenancies) tend to lose the excess at RTDRS. Landlords who skip the mandatory inspection reports lose deposit deductions entirely regardless of the underlying facts. Landlords who apply the depreciation principle and document carefully typically defend legitimate deductions. UrbanLease handles this framework for owner clients under Chabi.ca.
Reviewed 2026-08-02. General information only, not legal advice. Verify current provisions with the Alberta Residential Tenancies Act, Service Alberta's Consumer Contact Centre, or an Alberta lawyer before acting on deposit deductions.