Smoking stains and wallpaper replacement at move-out: who pays?
How Japan's restoration guideline treats cigarette-stained wallpaper at move-out, and how years of tenancy reduce the tenant's share.
更新: 2026-06-13
In Japan, tenants are often charged from their deposit for wallpaper ("cloth") replacement due to cigarette stains and odor 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: it can be the tenant's burden — but not the full amount
Wallpaper has a useful life of 6 years. 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).
- Charging for the entire unit when the stains only affect part of it.
- Double-counting cleaning fees within the replacement charge.
Use the checker below to estimate the burden split for your case.