Normal wear and tear cannot be charged against the security deposit.
Tenant-caused damage beyond normal wear may support a reasonable lease- or breach-based claim.
Do not assume a fixed useful-life table is Texas statutory law.
What to request for a carpet charge
- Move-in and move-out photos.
- The carpet’s installation date or available prior invoice.
- The replacement invoice or work order.
- An explanation of why spot repair or cleaning was not sufficient.
- The lease provision relied on for the charge.
Avoid the “full replacement automatically equals tenant liability” shortcut
The fact that a landlord replaced carpet does not by itself answer whether the tenant is legally liable for the full cost. The analysis still turns on the lease, the condition, ordinary wear, causation and the support for the amount claimed.
Official sources
Use these links to verify the rule directly. RentBillCheck prioritizes Texas statutes and state-agency materials over secondary summaries.
Primary definition of normal wear and tear for Texas residential tenancies.
Texas Constitution and StatutesTexas Property Code § 92.104 — Retention of Security Deposit; Accounting ↗Primary rules for lawful deductions, normal wear and tear, and written itemization when a landlord retains deposit money.
Office of the Attorney General of TexasRenter’s Rights ↗Official Texas consumer guidance summarizing deposits, itemized deductions, normal wear and tear and forwarding-address issues.