Fair wear and tear occurs through normal use or is the normal changes that take place with the aging of the property.

This statement is obviously open to interpretation and can often be seen as a grey area of property management.

The Residential Tenancies Act states: “At the end of the tenancy, the tenant must leave the premises and inclusions, as far as possible, in the same condition they were in at the start of the tenancy, fair wear and tear excepted”

So where do we draw the line?  This has been an ongoing issue for many years. It is a challenge that we as Property Managers have to deal with every time a tenant vacates your property.

As you know, our office has very high expectations and standards when it comes to carrying out the final inspection. Our property management department has a reputation for offering people clean, well-maintained properties to live in.

We will continue to adopt the policy of “if it’s clean when a tenant moves in then it will have to be the same when they move out.”

It is important to note however, that in some circumstances (depending on the term of the tenancy and the number of people residing in the property) you may be required to outlay a small amount for a general clean, prior to new tenants moving in.