Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Fair, depreciation-adjusted deduction
$870.00
Remaining value of the damaged item
$720.00
Refund due to tenant
$930.00
Overcharge if billed at full replacement cost
$1,080.00
Item's depreciated percentage
60%
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How to use this
- 1Enter full replacement cost of item ($).
- 2Enter typical useful life (years).
- 3Enter age of item when damaged (years).
- 4Enter other legitimate damage charges (non-depreciable) ($).
- 5Enter security deposit held ($).
- 6Read your fair, depreciation-adjusted deduction on the right — it updates as you type.
- 7Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Most security deposit disputes come down to one issue: landlords billing full replacement cost for something that was already partway through its useful life, which courts and small-claims judges routinely reject. Carpet with a 5-year useful life that's 3 years old is only worth 40% of replacement cost when it's damaged, not 100%, and charging full price invites a dispute or a judgment against you. This calculator applies straight-line depreciation to common line items — carpet, paint, appliances — so your itemized deduction reflects the item's remaining value rather than its original cost, which is both more defensible and often what local law explicitly requires.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Full replacement cost of item: 1800 $
- Typical useful life: 5 years
- Age of item when damaged: 3 years
- Other legitimate damage charges (non-depreciable): 150 $
- Security deposit held: 1800 $
Results
- Fair, depreciation-adjusted deduction: $870.00
- Remaining value of the damaged item: $720.00
- Refund due to tenant: $930.00
- Overcharge if billed at full replacement cost: $1,080.00
- Item's depreciated percentage: 60%
What each field means
Inputs
- Full replacement cost of item ($)
- The full replacement cost of item used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1800 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Typical useful life (years)
- The typical useful life used in the calculation, measured in years. Starts at 5 years so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 1–30 years.
- Age of item when damaged (years)
- The age of item when damaged used in the calculation, measured in years. Starts at 3 years so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–30 years.
- Other legitimate damage charges (non-depreciable) ($)
- The other legitimate damage charges (non-depreciable) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 150 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Security deposit held ($)
- The security deposit held used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1800 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Fair, depreciation-adjusted deduction
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Remaining value of the damaged item
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Refund due to tenant
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Overcharge if billed at full replacement cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Item's depreciated percentage
- Returned as a percentage. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Why can't I just charge full replacement cost for damaged carpet?
Because normal wear and tear plus the item's age means it wasn't worth full replacement cost anymore, and charging as if it were new is generally treated by courts as an improper windfall to the landlord rather than a legitimate damage charge. Many states explicitly require or courts have established depreciation-based deductions as the standard.
What useful life should I use for common items?
Common benchmarks: carpet 5-7 years, interior paint 2-3 years (in high-turnover units) up to 5 years, appliances 10-13 years, blinds 3-5 years. These vary by jurisdiction and some states publish specific guidance or case law setting expected useful life for deposit deduction purposes.
Does normal wear and tear mean I can't charge anything?
Correct for pure wear and tear — a small furniture indentation on carpet or minor scuffs are normal and not billable. This calculator is for actual damage beyond normal wear (a pet stain, a burn, a hole) where depreciation still applies to determine the dollar amount, not whether it's billable at all.
What if the item was already at the end of its useful life?
Then its remaining value is at or near zero, and you generally can't charge the tenant for replacing it regardless of the damage, since it had no remaining value to lose. Only 'other damage charges' unrelated to that specific depreciated item would still be billable in that case.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Move-In/Move-Out Inspection & Deposit Deduction Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/move-in-move-out-inspection-cost
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/move-in-move-out-inspection-cost" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Move-In/Move-Out Inspection & Deposit Deduction Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Move-In/Move-Out Inspection & Deposit Deduction Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/move-in-move-out-inspection-cost) (2026).