Courts have generally held that routine fading of paint and normal ageing of a flat are the landlord's cost to bear, not the tenant's, and a Delhi High Court ruling made this point directly about routine whitewashing and repainting, reports Business Today. A landlord can still charge you for damage you actually caused, beyond normal use, if the agreement allows it. The difference is ordinary ageing versus real damage, and any deduction should match the real cost of fixing it. Ask for an itemised list if any amount is held back from your deposit.
The number
Normal wear and tear, including routine painting, is generally not deductible, per a Delhi High Court ruling reported 7 August 2026 (commonly quoted).
Sources
Where it comes from. Level 1 is a government or court page, level 2 established press, level 3 a portal's explainer, which gives only what is commonly quoted.
- Business Today, https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/trends/story/can-landlords-cut-security-deposits-for-repainting-routine-cleaning-what-tenants-should-know-547176-2026-08-07, level 3