Short answer: small nail holes from hanging pictures are normal wear in Missouri and usually can't be charged against your deposit. Doorknob holes, TV-mount holes, anchor holes and dents are damage and will be. Move-out statements price damage per hole and a bad DIY spackle job often gets charged anyway. A professional visit patches every hole in a typical apartment for one flat price — usually less than two per-hole deductions — and leaves it textured and primed so it passes the walkthrough.
Columbia runs on a lease calendar. Every late July, thousands of students move out of apartments, houses and Greek housing, and every one of those walls gets photographed and inspected. This guide is what we tell friends who text us a week before their walkthrough.
Normal wear vs. damage in Missouri
Missouri’s security deposit law (RSMo 535.300) lets a landlord deduct for damage beyond “ordinary wear and tear,” and requires an itemized list of deductions within 30 days of move-out. It does not define wear and tear precisely, but in practice:
- Usually wear and tear: a few small nail or thumbtack holes from pictures, minor scuffs, faded paint.
- Usually damage: doorknob holes, holes from anchors and lag bolts (TV mounts, shelves, curtain rods you added), dents from furniture, gouges, large clusters of holes, and any hole that was patched badly.
Read your lease. Many Columbia leases go further than the statute and list a per-hole charge for anything larger than a nail hole, plus a painting charge if the patch is visible. That per-item pricing is where a walkthrough gets expensive.
What move-out statements actually charge
Every complex is different, but the pattern is the same: a flat fee per hole or per wall, a painting charge for any wall that shows a repair, and sometimes a “cleaning” or “labor” line on top. A fist-sized hole, a TV-mount cluster and a doorknob hole can add up to more than a professional would charge to fix the whole apartment — and you don’t get to argue the price after you’ve handed over the keys.
What you can fix yourself
Nail holes — a dab of lightweight spackle, wipe flush, done. No sanding needed on a textured wall.
One small anchor hole on a smooth wall — spackle, sand, prime. On a smooth wall in a closet this is fine.
Anything on a textured wall, anything bigger than a dime, anything on a lit wall — this is where DIY goes wrong. Apartment walls in Columbia are almost all orange peel or light knockdown. A flat spackle patch on a textured wall shows as a smooth spot, an aerosol texture can rarely matches, and a patch that shows gets charged as if you’d done nothing. If you’ve already tried once and it’s visible, a pro visit is the cheaper second attempt.
When a pro visit pays for itself
- More than two or three real holes. One flat price for the unit beats per-hole deductions.
- Any doorknob hole or fist hole. These need a backed patch, not a stick-on mesh square, and the texture has to match.
- TV-mount and shelf clusters. Filled and blended so there’s no ghost of what hung there.
- A tight deadline. We book several move-out visits a day around campus in late July and leave every spot primed so it passes the same day.
A typical move-out visit for a Columbia apartment runs $149–$399 flat for all the small and medium holes in the unit. Larger holes are added at standard patch rates. Compare that with your lease’s per-hole schedule and it usually pays for itself on the first two.
How to prepare for the walkthrough
- Take dated photos of every wall now, before repairs, and again after. If a deduction shows up that you disagree with, photos are your evidence.
- Fix damage before the inspection, not after. Once you’ve turned in keys, the landlord’s contractor sets the price.
- Match the paint if you paint. Ask the office for the paint name — most complexes use one flat white or light gray. The wrong sheen looks worse than a primed patch.
- Get the repair receipt. If a deduction appears anyway, an itemized receipt from a drywall contractor is a strong reply.
- Ask for the itemized statement in writing and check it against your photos. You have the right to dispute it.
For landlords and property managers
The same visit works in reverse: we sweep a unit for holes, pops and dings, patch everything in one pass, and leave it primed for your turnover painter — with per-unit flat pricing and a standing August schedule for complexes that book ahead. Details on the move-out and rental turnover page.
Questions renters ask
Can my landlord charge me for nail holes in Missouri? Usually not for a few small nail holes — that’s ordinary wear and tear. Large clusters, anchor holes and anything bigger than a nail hole typically can be charged as damage. Your lease may set specific per-hole fees.
Is it cheaper to fix the holes myself before moving out? For nail holes, yes. For anything on a textured wall or larger than a dime, a bad patch usually gets charged anyway. A professional visit patches every hole in the unit flat-rate, textured and primed, and usually costs less than two or three per-hole deductions.
How fast can you get to my apartment before my inspection? During move-out season we book several visits a day around campus. Text photos and your deadline and we’ll give you a flat price and a time slot the same day. Booking a week ahead is safest in late July.
Will the patch match the apartment’s texture? Yes — most Columbia rentals have orange peel or light knockdown walls, and we match both. The patch is primed so the turnover painter can roll straight over it.
Do I have to paint after the repair? Not for the inspection — a primed, texture-matched patch is what the landlord’s own contractor would leave. If your lease requires the wall to be painted, we can spot-paint with the complex’s paint on request.
Lease ending soon? See move-out drywall repair or text photos of every hole to (913) 375-8472 for one flat price.