Scratches and dents on flooring at move-out: do you have to pay?
How Japan's restoration guideline treats scratched and dented flooring at move-out, and why scratches and furniture dents are handled very differently.
更新: 2026-06-13
In Japan, tenants are often charged from their deposit for flooring damage at move-out. This guide explains, based on the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) restoration guideline, when such a charge is reasonable — because scratches and dents are treated very differently.
Scratches are usually the tenant's burden
Scratches from dragging furniture during a move, or gouges from dropped objects, count as tenant negligence and are normally the tenant's burden. Note that partial repair of flooring has no depreciation by years of tenancy — unlike wallpaper, the cost is not reduced based on how long you lived there.
Furniture dents are the landlord's burden
Dents and marks left simply by placing a sofa, bed, or refrigerator are treated as ordinary wear and tear, and are the landlord's burden. You should not be charged to repair them.
Use the checker below to estimate the burden split for your case.