I rent in California and have been renting from the same person for the past four years. We have a deposit on our place, however, nothing was stipulated as to being, "pet" deposit. So if my dog has killed strips of grass from continued trampling, can she lay down new sod, and charge me for it? Or is there such thing as normal wear and tear for lawn maintenance.

Hello stick:

There is a wear and tear standard for EVERYTHING you rent. The problem you've got is that grass, in the normal course of events, DOESN'T wear. Therefore, if it's worn (dead), it isn't normal.

In my view, she can charge you for new sod.

excon

You are admitting that your dog killed the grass. If your dog killed the grass, wouldn't you expect to pay for the damage your dog did? If your child broke a window with his baseball, would you call that normal wear? Think about it.