Rental Carpet, Paint & Appliance Depreciation Calculator

Who this is for

Tenants who were charged the full price of new carpet, paint, blinds or an appliance when they moved out, and want to know what share of that cost reflects the part of the item's life they actually used up.

It is also a quick check for landlords before they send a deduction statement, because a charge for 'new for old' is one of the deductions small claims judges most often reduce.

What to have ready

• The line on the deduction statement for the replaced item and the invoice behind it.
• Any evidence of when the item was installed: lease disclosures, a listing, the landlord's own records.
• Your tenancy start and end dates.
• Photos showing the item's condition when you moved in.

The rule

Deposit statutes let a landlord recover the cost of repairing damage beyond normal wear, but not more than the loss actually suffered. If a carpet that was already four years old is ruined, the landlord lost a four-year-old carpet, not a new one. Courts therefore commonly pro-rate replacement charges by the item's remaining useful life. California's Civil Code § 1950.5(b) and (e) limit deductions to amounts 'reasonably necessary' to repair damage beyond ordinary wear and tear, which is the hook for this argument there.

No statute publishes an official lifespan for carpet or paint. The lifespans in the calculator are common working figures used in negotiation and by many courts, and IRS Publication 527 (which puts carpets and appliances in rental property in the 5-year depreciation class) is sometimes cited as a reference point. A judge can accept a different figure if there is evidence, such as a higher-grade carpet or an appliance that was recently serviced.

Read the official text:

• California Civil Code § 1950.5(b), (e)
• IRS Publication 527, Residential Rental Property (depreciation classes)

Worked example: a $1,800 carpet charge

Age at move-out      = 12 + 36 = 48 months
Remaining life       = 60 - 48 = 12 months
Share still unused   = 12 / 60 = 20%
Fair maximum charge  = $1,800 x 20% = $360
Amount to dispute    = $1,800 - $360 = $1,440

Common mistakes

• Using the age of the item at move-in only. The useful life also ran down during your tenancy, so add both periods together.
• Applying depreciation to damage that has nothing to do with age, such as a broken window pane. Pro-rating fits items that wear out, not one-off repairs.
• Guessing the installation date. Ask the landlord for the purchase or installation invoice; if they cannot produce it, say so in your dispute.
• Forgetting that a charge can also be too high for the work. Compare the invoice with an ordinary local price as well as checking the age.

Limits of this tool

• Lifespans are estimates, not legal rules, and states do not set them by statute.
• Some states and courts treat pro-rating as a matter of fairness rather than a strict formula, so the result is a negotiating figure.
• The tool assumes the damage itself was the tenant's responsibility. If it was normal wear, nothing is owed at all.

Sources were last checked in October 2026. Statutes are amended often; if the official text differs from this page, the official text controls.