What is fair wear and tear?

The deterioration you would expect from someone living in the property normally, over the length of time they lived there.

Worn carpet in a hallway after four years is wear and tear. A cigarette burn in it is damage. Scuffed paintwork is wear and tear. A hole in the wall is damage.

You cannot charge a tenant to put a property back into better condition than it started, and you cannot charge the full cost of replacing something that was already part worn. Adjudicators apply a life expectancy to carpets, paint and appliances and award a proportion.

Length of tenancy, number of occupants and the age of the item at the start all come into it.