Tatami re-covering and replacement at move-out: do you pay?

At move-out, settlement statements often list charges for re-covering tatami (omote-gae) or replacing whole mats. Under Japan's restoration guideline (MLIT, "Guideline on Restoration Trouble"), these are not always the tenant's burden.

Aging and sun fading: the landlord's burden

The tatami surface ("tatami-omote") is treated as a consumable, so no depreciation calculation by years applies to it. Natural fading from sunlight and ordinary aging count as "normal wear and aging," which the landlord bears — you should not be charged for them.

When the tenant pays

If you caused the damage through negligence — spilled stains left to set, scorch holes from cigarettes or an iron, deep gouges — that can be the tenant's burden. The base layer beneath the mat ("tatami-doko") has a useful life of 6 years, so even where it must be replaced, longer tenancy reduces your share.

Use the checker below to estimate which side your case falls on.