Proving Normal Wear With Photographs

The wear-versus-damage fight is won at move-out, not at hearing — photos decide it.

The short version

Effective photo evidence is timestamped, contextual (wide shot then detail), and paired: the same wall, window, or appliance at move-in and move-out. Without move-in photos, the argument shifts to the landlord's burden.

What to do, in order

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Evidence and records to keep

['Pair every move-out photo with its move-in counterpart.', 'Keep originals with metadata; work from copies.', 'Annotate a separate index — never alter the originals.', 'Match each claimed deduction to its photo pair.', 'Note which deductions have no photographic support at all.']

Verify before you file

Deadlines, fees, and forms in this area are set by statute, court rule, or tribunal practice, and they change. Confirm the current requirement on the official your state self-help portal or with the clerk before relying on anything here. This page is general procedural information, not legal advice, and creates no attorney-client relationship.