Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Check your local laws. I know where I lived in Virginia after a certain number of years, the carpet was valued at $0. I don't remember then number, just that it was less than the 6 I lived there. I was able to move out without cleaning the carpet and still get my full security back even though the carpet needed to be replaced.
From what I can gather after networking and attending various landlord conventions across the US, most of us take a quick glance at our bank account balance when the tenants vacate and sort of just "wing-it" from there.
While I never agree with carpet in a rental, because of the regular wear and tear issue, not everyone has the same idea...
I rented an apartment with brand new carpeting and lived there 4 years, other than the carpeting getting flat where the constant flow of traffic is, it was in perfect condition. There were no stains or anything.
How much partying did the tenant do?. 4 years really is not that old for a carpet. I am sure it wasn't a good carpet, but never the less....4 years still is not that long.
and what i think really should be done. After each tenant moves, the LL should just have new carpet installed, period and end of it. That should just be part of the cycle. That way there is no wear and tear issue, or any problem. then the new tenant will get new carpet, because when they move then the carpet is twice as old and so on and so on.
Like who really wants to live in some one elses carpet anyway.
Check your local laws. I know where I lived in Virginia after a certain number of years, the carpet was valued at $0. I don't remember then number, just that it was less than the 6 I lived there. I was able to move out without cleaning the carpet and still get my full security back even though the carpet needed to be replaced.
wow, all apartments should be that good. my last apartment didn't have new carpet when i moved in but it looked fine. i stayed six and a half years. cleaned the carpets before i left and the only damage was a small bit of snagged carpet at the front door from the cat clawing to go out. same at the slider. but it was one of these places that apparently never intends to give back the deposit. i had moved out of state so what can you do then? certainly wouldn't be flying back to small claims court. i did end up getting a small bit back, only because they must have lost the original paperwork and i could show with my copies that the deposit was larger than they'd claimed, and so still had money left after they refused to refund some for "damages".
Quite simply, dirt and stains is not wear and tear.
Wear and tear are minor scuffs, wear patterns, the finish wearing off of a fixture. You should have hired a good professional carpet cleaner in the first place. There is no way a person without that heavy duty truck mounted equipment can get a carpet as clean as it can get.
Some age is also wear and tear such as the carpets fibers not being as resiliant as they were, minor wear patterns in high traffic areas, dents from furniture. Carpets are depreciated sure, but I have rentals where we have had the same carpet in for 6+ years and with our requirement that carpets are to be professionally cleaned 1 time a year AND upon moveout, they stay looking good a long time. So, the next time your daughter rents something suggest to her that she get the carpets cleaned once a year and then at move out things will go a little better than this time.
We just moved into a rental on a 4 yr lease in Virginia. The carpets had been cleaned but were still quite stained, with many pull/pill marks. The landlord refused to replace them, and I wonder what we can do an a tenant to ensure we are not left with a carpet replacement bill when we move out in 4 yrs. We have taken pictures, but that only shows a bit of the damage. Also, is it normal to have a landlord NOT paint the home prior to a new tenant moving in? The walls are terrible. There are dings, scratches and black marks on all the walls. This is a 2600sq foot home with a very high rent, and with that rent I would expect that it was to be painted, but the landlord says no. She says if we want to paint we can do it ourselves. We pay $2300/m for the rent. The house itself is beautiful but with all the damage it does not look as nice nor feel as though we are getting what we paid for. We do not want to be bad tenants, so dont complain, but just dont want to be charged for the damage when we move out. Any thoughts or suggestions? This is the first home we have rented in 20 years, as we have always been home owners, so we are not that familiar with rental laws. Thanks for any suggestions
We just moved into a rental on a 4 yr lease in Virginia. The carpets had been cleaned but were still quite stained, with many pull/pill marks. The landlord refused to replace them, and I wonder what we can do an a tenant to ensure we are not left with a carpet replacement bill when we move out in 4 yrs. We have taken pictures, but that only shows a bit of the damage. Also, is it normal to have a landlord NOT paint the home prior to a new tenant moving in? The walls are terrible. There are dings, scratches and black marks on all the walls. This is a 2600sq foot home with a very high rent, and with that rent I would expect that it was to be painted, but the landlord says no. She says if we want to paint we can do it ourselves. We pay $2300/m for the rent. The house itself is beautiful but with all the damage it does not look as nice nor feel as though we are getting what we paid for. We do not want to be bad tenants, so dont complain, but just dont want to be charged for the damage when we move out. Any thoughts or suggestions? This is the first home we have rented in 20 years, as we have always been home owners, so we are not that familiar with rental laws. Thanks for any suggestions
Did you make sure that on move in inspection you wrote down or mentioned that the carpet was in horrible shape? That's how you ensure that you aren't on the hook for the carpet upon move out.
We just moved into a rental on a 4 yr lease in Virginia. The carpets had been cleaned but were still quite stained, with many pull/pill marks. The landlord refused to replace them, and I wonder what we can do an a tenant to ensure we are not left with a carpet replacement bill when we move out in 4 yrs. We have taken pictures, but that only shows a bit of the damage. Also, is it normal to have a landlord NOT paint the home prior to a new tenant moving in? The walls are terrible. There are dings, scratches and black marks on all the walls. This is a 2600sq foot home with a very high rent, and with that rent I would expect that it was to be painted, but the landlord says no. She says if we want to paint we can do it ourselves. We pay $2300/m for the rent. The house itself is beautiful but with all the damage it does not look as nice nor feel as though we are getting what we paid for. We do not want to be bad tenants, so dont complain, but just dont want to be charged for the damage when we move out. Any thoughts or suggestions? This is the first home we have rented in 20 years, as we have always been home owners, so we are not that familiar with rental laws. Thanks for any suggestions
First, if the state of the carpet was an issue and the walls which needed painting were an issue, these are things which should have been addressed before lease signing. Once you sign the lease you're basically accepting the place "as is". What you MUST do now is take dated photographs clearly showing the wear and tear of the carpet and the dilapidated paint on the walls - and anything else in the house which shows signs of wear and tear. This will protect you in the event that the landlord tries to deduct for any of it when you move out.
Frankly I'm really surprised that she's reluctant to paint the place. If you decide to paint the place yourself, she should pay for the paint and I would strongly advise that you also get her to sign a liability release saying that you won't be responsible for any repainting costs when the job is done or at the end of the lease. Knowledgeable landlords don't usually let tenants do paint jobs but either do it themselves or hire professionals. I'd be very meticulous with documentation where this LL is concerned ...
Hope it works out for you and you enjoy the house!
We did make note of the carpets and paint issues. We also took many pictures. (the paint, the scratched up hardwood floors, the nicks in the walls etc). I emailed the pictures to the property management company. They are going to paint the stairwell but thats about it and said we could paint elsewhere if we want Seems a bit sad as this is a very nice home - but with all the dings and bad paint/carpet looks a bit rundown. We may end up just painting ourselves to make it look nicer. We dont want to come across as bad or problem tenants so probably wont push this. Thanks for your advice
My friend bought this house over ten years ago, I moved in when she got divorced, to help with her mortage payment. She moved out 2 years later and I have been in the house since. I moved in, so it wasn't spotless plus she had animals. Now she tells me the house has to be professsionally cleaned and the carpet replaced because of 2 burn spots from the fireplace. There wasn't a walk thru cuz we both lived here. What can she hold me to replace?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
New Rental
Seems a bit sad as this is a very nice home - but with all the dings and bad paint/carpet looks a bit rundown. We may end up just painting ourselves to make it look nicer. We dont want to come across as bad or problem tenants so probably wont push this. Thanks for your advice
