Fair Wear and Tear vs Damage: Queensland Rental Bond Rules

The line between fair wear and tear and compensable damage determines whether a bond deduction will survive scrutiny at QCAT. Get it wrong and you lose the claim — and potentially face costs for the tenant's time.

Queensland's RTRA Act does not define "fair wear and tear" with a neat formula. Instead, QCAT adjudicators apply a practical test: would this deterioration have occurred through ordinary, reasonable use by any tenant?

What Counts as Fair Wear and Tear

Fair wear and tear is the natural result of someone living in a property. It happens regardless of how careful the tenant is. Common examples:

• Light scuff marks near door frames and light switches
• Minor carpet pile compression in high-traffic hallways
• Plaster cracks as a building settles
• Faded paint or curtains from sunlight exposure
• Worn grout or sealant around showers after years of use
• Loose door handles from regular opening and closing

None of these support a bond deduction. They reflect normal ageing and use, and claiming against the bond for them will be disallowed.

What Counts as Compensable Damage

Damage goes beyond ordinary use. It results from negligence, misuse, accident, or intentional harm. Common examples:

• Deep carpet stains from spills that were not cleaned
• Pet damage — scratched doors, urine stains, torn flyscreens
• Plaster chipped by nails being hammered in to hang pictures
• Broken tiles, cracked windows, or smashed light fittings
• Heavy grease accumulation on kitchen surfaces and exhaust fans
• Scratches on kitchen benchtops from cutting food on the surface
• Cigarette burns on carpet or benchtops
• Mould caused by the tenant failing to ventilate (not by a structural defect)
• Missing fixtures — curtain rods, towel rails, smoke alarm batteries

For each of these, you can deduct only the depreciated cost of repair or replacement — not the full price of a new item. A seven-year-old carpet with a ten-year useful life has only 30% of its replacement value remaining, even if the tenant's dog destroyed it.

The Grey Zone

Some items fall in the middle, and QCAT adjudicators weigh the specifics:

Marks on walls. A few scuffs from furniture are wear and tear. Crayon drawings, large dents, or dozens of unfilled holes are damage.

End-of-lease cleaning. The tenant must return the property to the standard of cleanliness documented at entry, minus fair wear and tear. A light dust layer is wear. A grease-coated oven and mouldy bathroom tiles are not.

Garden and lawns. A lawn browning from seasonal environmental conditions may be fair wear and tear; whether it is damage depends on the entry condition and the tenant's care. A garden bed dug up or a lawn damaged by vehicle parking is not ordinary wear.

The entry condition report — Form 1a — settles most grey-zone arguments. If the report shows minor existing marks at entry and the exit report shows similar marks, there is no claim. If the entry report shows clean walls and the exit report shows deep scuffs, the difference is damage.

How Evidence Determines the Outcome

QCAT decisions on wear versus damage almost always come down to the quality of the landlord's documentation. Under Section 136AA of the RTRA Act, you must deliver itemised evidence to the tenant within 14 days of lodging a bond claim. That evidence package should include:

1. Form 1a (entry condition report) with dated photographs
2. Form 14a (exit condition report) with dated photographs
3. Side-by-side photo comparisons showing the specific deterioration
4. Repair or replacement quotes with depreciation already applied
5. Proof of asset age (installation receipts, invoices, building records)

Without dated entry photographs, a wear-versus-damage argument becomes your word against the tenant's — and QCAT adjudicators tend to resolve ambiguity in favour of the tenant.

Practical Steps Before the Tenancy Starts

The strongest defence against losing a bond dispute over fair wear and tear is thorough documentation from day one:

• Photograph every room, fixture, and surface at entry — close-ups of carpet, walls, and appliances
• Note existing marks, scuffs, and wear in the Form 1a comments column
• Photograph the same items at each routine inspection (every three months in Queensland)
• Keep installation records and receipts for any fixture you replace during the tenancy

The Queensland Rental Bond Guide includes an evidence-management checklist and a depreciation log that tracks each fixture's age and remaining value — built to support exactly this kind of claim.

See more Queensland guides →