How to Review Security Deposit Deductions: A Wear-and-Damage Evidence Worksheet

An itemized security deposit statement gives you a list of charges. It does not necessarily give you the evidence needed to evaluate them. The useful next step is to compare each charge against the property's earlier condition, its condition when you left, the explanation for the change, and the amount claimed.

This worksheet is for U.S. residential renters reviewing deductions. The governing state law, lease, facts, and sometimes local rules matter. Texas and North Carolina examples below are expressly limited to those jurisdictions; they do not supply a national deadline or automatic outcome.

Give each charge its own evidence row

Avoid treating a disputed deposit as a single yes-or-no question. A damaged shelf may have a different record from a repainting charge, even when both appear on the same invoice. Use one row per item and retain the original statement unchanged.

These status labels describe your review, not a legal ruling. “Supported for discussion” means the records appear to support some part of the claim. It does not mean the amount is legally recoverable. “Needs records” is often the most accurate answer when a statement has a charge but little explanation.

Record the statement date and when you received it. Keep the envelope, email, attachments, and any later correction. A revised statement should become a new dated entry rather than replacing the history.

Establish the baseline before debating wear

Find the move-in inspection and earliest usable images. Note whether they show the same room, surface, and angle as the move-out evidence. A close-up of a scuff cannot by itself establish the condition of an entire wall, and a photograph with no date may need context.

Johnston County's housing program guidance recommends documenting condition and gives examples of ordinary wear and damage. It is a practical local resource, not a rule that classifies every stain or broken item nationwide.¹ Use examples to frame questions, then return to the actual evidence.

If you lack a formal move-in report, look for contemporaneous maintenance requests, messages, and original image files. Explain what each proves and what it cannot prove. Do not alter images, recreate a missing inspection, or treat a later recollection as a dated document.

Ask about change, cause, age, and amount separately

A strong review distinguishes four issues:

1. Change: What condition is different from move-in?
2. Cause: Why does the landlord attribute that difference to the tenant?
3. Age and prior condition: How old was the item, and what condition was it already in?
4. Amount: What work was necessary, and what supports the price charged?

Those questions prevent a common shortcut: deciding that because an item was damaged, any replacement price must be justified. They also prevent the reverse shortcut: deciding that an old item can never support any charge. Applicable law and the facts must resolve those issues; this worksheet contains no universal depreciation schedule.

Texas's State Law Library explains the state's normal-wear distinction and points readers to Property Code sections 92.001(4) and 92.104. The Texas Attorney General likewise distinguishes ordinary deterioration from damage and discusses deposit deductions.²³ These sources are useful when reviewing a Texas residential tenancy. Check your own state's authority before importing their wording or requirements.

A fictional three-charge statement

Suppose Morgan receives a statement deducting $450 for paint, $120 for a shelf, and $600 for carpet. The examples below illustrate record review, not recoverable amounts.

Morgan should not add the charges together and declare them all improper because the total feels high. Nor should Morgan concede every charge because an invoice exists. The useful written response identifies the precise disagreement, attaches relevant records, and asks for the missing explanation.

Distinguish an estimate from a final accounting

Mark whether the stated amount is an estimate, invoice, paid bill, or another kind of record. Check what local law requires and when. An estimate is not automatically invalid everywhere, and the absence of a paid invoice does not establish the same remedy in every state.

North Carolina's General Statutes section 42-52 provides a specific example: itemization and the remaining deposit are generally due within 30 days after the specified termination and delivery-of-possession conditions. If the claim cannot yet be determined, an interim accounting is due within 30 days and a final accounting within 60 days. The same section bars normal-wear deductions and retention exceeding actual damages.⁴

That conditional 30/60-day framework belongs to North Carolina. It should not be copied into a Texas letter or used as a national countdown. For your worksheet, write the jurisdiction, the official source, the trigger event, and any unresolved timing question. Keep a separate record of forwarding-address communications and possession-return evidence where relevant.

Write a targeted request for clarification

Here is an original organizational example, not a statutory notice or litigation form:

I am reviewing the deposit statement dated [date] for [rental address]. For the [identified item] charge of [amount], my move-in record shows [specific condition], and my move-out record shows [specific condition]. Please explain the condition attributed to me, the work included in the charge, and the records supporting the amount. I have attached [identified copies]. I am requesting clarification of this charge and have not agreed that the amount is owed.

Replace the bracketed fields with accurate facts before using the example. An information request does not itself preserve every claim, meet a required notice procedure, extend a deadline, or start a court case. If a deadline is approaching, a lawsuit is pending, or the dispute affects an eviction or other significant issue, seek local legal help promptly.

Keep the dispute focused

Maintain a folder with the lease, statement versions, condition evidence, communications, and your worksheet. Record what has been resolved and what remains open. Share copies through the method your adviser approves, keeping the originals intact.

For the broader recovery process, read LawSensai's security deposit guide. This article serves the narrower task of testing each deduction against its evidence. Attorney matching information can help you consider professional assistance; it does not decide which charges a court would allow.

Sources and references

1. Johnston County, North Carolina HAPP, Normal Wear and Tear Guidance for Landlords and Tenants, condition documentation and illustrative examples, updated May 21, 2026. Local practical guidance, not nationwide classifications. ↩

2. Texas State Law Library, Security Deposits – Landlord/Tenant Law, deductions and normal wear discussion referencing Texas Property Code §§92.001(4), 92.104; reviewed October 26, 2026. ↩

3. Texas Attorney General, Renter's Rights, “Recovering Your Deposit” and deduction discussion. Supports the Texas-specific wear/damage distinction and related deposit questions. ↩

4. North Carolina General Assembly, G.S. §42-52, Landlord's obligations. Supports the expressly North Carolina accounting periods, normal-wear exclusion, and actual-damages limit. ↩