How to fix laminate floor damage before moving out without losing deposit
Bad patch jobs on laminate planks risk full floor replacement charges from landlords during move-out inspections. Tenants stuck waiting on unreliable repair contractors face tough choices between risking a poor fix or leaving damage as-is.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Leaving a welcome rug over the repaired spotDid this help you?
- 2Pushing the move-out date to allow time for redosDid this help you?
- 3Hoping the landlord accepts the cosmetic imperfection given the effort spent fixing other unit deficienciesDid this help you?
- 4Scheduling pre-move-out inspections 14 days prior to departureDid this help you?
- 5Reminding tenants in move-out emails to report outstanding issues to protect their depositDid this help you?
- 6Claiming the damage was already there when moving inDid this help you?
- 7Using spackle and a brush to patch the wall textureDid this help you?
- 8Using colored nail polish or colored putty to camouflage the damageDid this help you?
- 9Accepting the loss of the security depositDid this help you?
- 10Replacing individual flooring planks using specialized toolsDid this help you?
- 11placing something under the frame to stop further damageDid this help you?
- 12considering hiring a repair personDid this help you?
- 13considering cutting losses on the depositDid this help you?
- 14Using extra padding and floor protectionDid this help you?
- 15Attempting to pay maintenance workers under the table for repairsDid this help you?
- 16Leaving the damage for property management to assess and charge for after moving outDid this help you?
- 17testing an enzyme type cleaner on a tiny spot to see if it fadesDid this help you?
- 18leaving the floor for the landlord to handle and hoping it does not cost more than the security depositDid this help you?
- 19Using a wood fill pencil and Old English scratch coverDid this help you?
- 20Trying to match the stain color manuallyDid this help you?
- 21Leaving it alone and hoping the landlord does not noticeDid this help you?
- 22Using a Mr. Clean eraserDid this help you?
- 23Painting over the scuff with matching paintDid this help you?
- 24Relying on the management company to repaint after vacatingDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Now I am moving soon and I have no clue how to fix this.”source ↗
“I obviously want my deposit back, and this landlord does not deserve to keep my money.”source ↗
“I do not want to loose some of my deposit. Please help out what should i do?”source ↗
“I’m moving out of this apartment and the floors looked like this under carpet and where our couch was. I don’t know what it is. Is it something we can fix before we move?”source ↗
“Which made me worry that I could be charged to replace the entire floor.”source ↗
“I am not looking to replace the whole vinyl just want to do some camouflage on this. I will be leaving this house in 10 days regardless”source ↗
“Thanks buddy, but I don't have tools anything that can just hide this?”source ↗
“Our landlord is saying they need to replace the whole floor but I’ve had floors like this and I remember refinishing to work fine.”source ↗
“I don’t remember the stain being there. So that’s what’s wild to me.”source ↗
“Need help with these original hardwood floors!”source ↗
“What can I do for a finishing touch or is this the best it’ll look?”source ↗
“Really hoping to get our deposit back! 🤞🏼”source ↗
“I hired someone from a surface restoration company to repair a laminate plank in my rental unit I’m moving out of.”source ↗
“Unfortunately he doesn’t have time this week to fix it before my move. I could push my move out to a different day, but admittedly I am a little hesitant to call him back.”source ↗
“Do I leave it as is and hope it’s fine? What’s the risk of getting him to come back to adjust it (i.e. what could go wrong, if anything)?”source ↗
“One of the most frustrating parts of owning a rental is finding out about problems when the tenant is already leaving.”source ↗
“walking in and realizing how much needs attention all at once is stressful.”source ↗
“I don't know about wildest but last weekend we had a guy steal a car from a police impound lot, drive it one of our rentals and smash in a back window so he could hide the car in the garage.”source ↗
“How careful do movers need to be with big furniture in Lorne Park homes”source ↗
“How do people usually avoid damage during a big house move like that?”source ↗
“Is this the kind of job where extra padding and floor protection actually matter, or is that just something companies say?”source ↗
“Forgive me if this is the wrong place to ask this, but what’s the best method for cleaning this up? It’s from a black metal bed frame scraping the wall. Would magic marker work? Or is it simply a matter of finding a paint that matches and painting over it?”source ↗
“im nervous about my deposit ifgaf about my head I just dont want my landlord to whine”source ↗
“I recently lost my temper due to some personal things and ended up punching a couple of holes in 2 doors in my apartment.”source ↗
“The lease is ending soon and I’d like to see if I could get these replaced or repaired but I’m unsure of the process or pricing behind that.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 4How to clean an empty house quickly before moving in
- 4Inherited a house with sudden damage and no idea what to do
- 3How to repair accidental damage in my apartment before landlord inspection
- 3How do you stop losing things during a cross-country move?
- 29How to fix previous owner DIY nightmares
- 36How to get a contractor to fix damage they caused