Are scratches on vinyl flooring normal wear and tear?
It is difficult to determine if scratches on vinyl kitchen flooring are normal wear and tear or damage a landlord can charge for. Tenants who do not figure this out before moving out end up paying for things they could have caught in ten minutes.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- People have been saying this in most months since September 2026.
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.
Are scratches on vinyl flooring normal wear and tear?
- 1Trying to disguise white parts of scratches with a gray SharpieDid this help you?
- 2Applying Mop & Glo to the entire floor to mask differences in sheenDid this help you?
- 3Using a strict, consistent move-out checklist within 24 hours of getting keys backDid this help you?
- 4Checking high-risk items like water leaks firstDid this help you?
- 5Taking side-by-side video or photos to compare against move-in conditionsDid this help you?
- 6Sending the tenant a short checklist a week before move-out so there are no surprisesDid 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.
“Hi everyone, I’m moving out of my apartment soon and noticed there are some scratches on the vinyl flooring in my kitchen.”source ↗
“I’m trying to figure out whether this would normally be considered normal wear and tear or damage that a landlord could charge me for.”source ↗
“I learned this the slow way, by paying for things I could have caught in ten minutes.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 3How to repair accidental damage in my apartment before landlord inspection
- 4Am I liable for property damage caused by a sublease tenant?
- 36How to get a contractor to fix damage they caused
- 2Is my landlord's weird appliance repair safe to use?
- 2Is my leaking appliance a DIY fix or a pro job?
- 7Is this tire puncture too close to the sidewall to repair?