h i g h l i g h t s g r a p h i c a l a b s t r a c t The Fe, La co-doping (Pb,Sr)TiO 3 films are fabricated by sol-gel like method. The defect dipoles can be reorient under an PFM tip-bias-induced electric field. The Fe, La co-doping (Pb,Sr)TiO 3 films behaved like ferroelectric at the nanoscale. a b s t r a c t In this study, undoped-(Pb,Sr)TiO 3 and Fe 3þ , La 3þ co-doped (Pb,Sr)TiO 3 thin films were investigated at the nanoscale level by piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM), in order to evaluate the impact of dopinginduced damages on the ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties. Detailed investigations with nanoscale resolution have revealed occurrence of abnormal domains in writing pattern under forward and reverse bias for (Pb,Sr,La)(Ti,Fe)O 3 thin films. Further piezoresponse hysteresis loop measurements show that fully switchable loops were observed under high voltage mediated by defect dipoles and by "ferroelectric-like" polar defects clusters. They have been discussed taking into account charged defect formation with both local changes in the dipole moment and local symmetry breaking effects. In addition, the domain writing and its retention behavior of the undoped-PST and (Pb,Sr,La)(Ti,Fe)O 3 thin films were investigated. Undoped-PST films exhibited better stability for both positive and negative domains for a relatively long time in comparison to that observed for (Pb,Sr,La)(Ti,Fe)O 3 films.