Pet scratches and odor at move-out: how much do you actually pay?
How Japan's restoration guideline treats pet scratches and odor at move-out, and how years of tenancy shrink the tenant's share of any wallpaper repair.
Updated: 2026-06-13
In Japan, tenants are often charged from their deposit for scratches, odor, or wallpaper ("cloth") replacement caused by pets at move-out. This guide explains, based on the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) restoration guideline, whether such a charge is reasonable.
Bottom line: usually the tenant's burden — but not the full amount
Pet scratches and lingering odor go beyond normal use, so they generally fall on the tenant. But wallpaper has a useful life of 6 years, and the tenant's share is calculated as (6 − years occupied) ÷ 6. After 5 years it is about 16.7%; after 6 years or more it is effectively 0%, so no replacement charge should normally apply.
Common over-charging patterns
- Charging the full amount while ignoring years of tenancy (no depreciation applied).
- Replacing whole walls or rooms when only part is damaged.
- Going beyond the deodorizing or repair actually needed.
Use the checker below to estimate the burden split for your case.