Landlord replaced carpet but still charged for cleaning (Seattle, Port Orchard: apartment complex, rental)

[FoggyOB]

I'm trying to help my daughter out. She recently moved out of a decrepit, moldy gross place in Port Orchard and just received the final bill. Oh this landlord is a piece of work! There's a lot of other stuff we're going to dispute (woman didn't even have the move in checklist) but apparently she replaced the carpet and didn't charge them for that (small favors) but because it's in the lease that it's a mandatory $200 for carpet cleaning.

It appears reasonable to me, I guess? The carpet was beyond ancient so I'm considering it part of the replacement charge. Got an opinion?

And I'm really new here...should I be posting this in another forum?

[GraceKrispy]

There is a renting forum that specializes in questions like this http://www.city-data.com/forum/renting/

It's my understanding that landlords cannot charge for carpet replacement after a certain number of years (and they have to charge the depreciated rate before that). The top of the forum I linked has the rental laws for each of the states. I don't know for WA state in particular, but I know my apartment complex charges nothing for carpet replacement if the carpet is 5 years old. 4 years old, it charges a set percentage of replacement, and so on. If a mandatory cleaning charge is in the lease and your daughter signed it, I believe they can charge that rate regardless of whether they replace or not. Sounds like it was old enough they couldn't charge replacement.

But, as they'll tell you in the other forum, we don't give legal advice on city-data, so take it for what it's worth

[reenzz]

The landlord likely tried to just clean the carpet before she decided that it was beyond damaged and needed to be replaced.

[DutchessCottonPuff]

They do this constantly . Thats cheap compared to what some of us have been made to pay in exasperation or TRY to dispute . Astronomical amounts when you have gone to EXTREME MEASURES to keep that carpet pefectly clean and vacuumed to give it that show room floor look . I don't care if it is 1-10 years old , laid plastic or other rugs on top of it etc . Every single apt I have lived in in the PNW has done or tried to do this and I have pictures - not even that works.

It's whenever they decide it needs replacing .
I was raised in a house of carpet tile and wood , I do not tear things up but when my house burned the other week I was glad I didnt have to deal with any non existant carpet issue . Alot of times these huge corporate owners will replace that carpet no matter it's age/condition and will do anything to pass the cost to someone else . Sometimes I wonder why they even use carpet in the mid to lower range units where people have less $$. Sometimes it seems like it is extortion- they know you have limited money to fight . I TREASURE the 3 places in my apt that have hardwood .
There are carpet threads just like this all over the forum .

[elkotronics]

They do this constantly . Thats cheap compared to what some of us have been made to pay in exasperation or TRY to dispute . Astronomical amounts when you have gone to EXTREME MEASURES to keep that carpet pefectly clean and vacuumed to give it that show room floor look . I don't care if it is 1-10 years old , laid plastic or other rugs on top of it etc . Every single apt I have lived in in the PNW has done or tried to do this and I have pictures - not even that works.

It's whenever they decide it needs replacing .
I was raised in a house of carpet tile and wood , I do not tear things up but when my house burned the other week I was glad I didnt have to deal with any non existant carpet issue . Alot of times these huge corporate owners will replace that carpet no matter it's age/condition and will do anything to pass the cost to someone else . Sometimes I wonder why they even use carpet in the mid to lower range units where people have less $$. Sometimes it seems like it is extortion- they know you have limited money to fight . I TREASURE the 3 places in my apt that have hardwood .
There are carpet threads just like this all over the forum .

I wasn't aware that this was happening in the Pac.NW, Dutchess. I do know that my wife and I have had limited success getting our security deposits back since 2006 in SE Arizona. As we have traveled along in my medical career, we've stayed in a variety of U.S. towns and are now in KC. We have not got our security deposit back 5 times since 2006, including the last two rental houses. None of those were warranted. My wife cleans the place very, very thoroughly and our 2 dogs and 2 cats are potty trained completely. The cats use their litter box and the dogs go outside. We don't have a problem with our cats shredding carpet. When I posted this on the Seattle forum a couple weeks ago, I wrote it in complete irritation and frustration. I like how Judge Judy will fight for the people who are being ripped off by landlords - she has the power to be their voice.

Landlords are getting more and more dishonest and more and more greedy.

[noah]

The problem likely is you signed the lease agreement that stated $200 of the deposit was non refundable. It didn't state it was 100% refundable if in perfect condition.

[agaace]

It's pretty standard, all but one landlord did this to me. I always asked before moving out. If they said they would charge me for cleaning no matter what, I made sure not to waste a whole Saturday scrubbing the apartment myself and pretty much left it as it was.

[DutchessCottonPuff]

Originally Posted by elkotronics

[i]


I wasn't aware that this was happening in the Pac.NW, Dutchess. I do know that my wife and I have had limited success getting our security deposits back since 2006 in SE Arizona. As we have traveled along in my medical career, we've stayed in a variety of U.S. towns and are now in KC. We have not got our security deposit back 5 times since 2006, including the last two rental houses. None of those were warranted. My wife cleans the place very, very thoroughly and our 2 dogs and 2 cats are potty trained completely. The cats use their litter box and the dogs go outside. We don't have a problem with our cats shredding carpet. When I posted this on the Seattle forum a couple weeks ago, I wrote it in complete irritation and frustration. I like how Judge Judy will fight for the people who are being ripped off by landlords - she has the power to be their voice.

Landlords are getting more and more dishonest and more and more greedy.

I am going to go read that thread . I had ZERO problems anywhere in the US until about 2009 . Then just SUDDENLY. We have ( or had - I need to get new ones now since the big blaze) both a great quiet vacuum and F LOVES to clean the carpet with his carpet cleaner twice a month . He would do it each week if I didn't stop him but now I think it's in fear of some small discoloration we may have missed with our microscope . I know some people here are going to tell me not to do that , it will ruin the carpet. We both know this but its better than being charged $5000 for a 750sq 2-1 of carpet only ??? with pics we took and a great walk through with the office lady on the way out . I was floored . We ended up getting an atty and put a stop to that . It was cheaper by FAR than the $5000 they were trying to hook .

[cmswazey]

The law sez reasonably clean and reasonable wear and tear.

[elkotronics]

The law sez reasonably clean and reasonable wear and tear.

Yeah, and what does a landlord think, with money signs in their eyes? I'll tell you what they are thinking: your wear and tear ain't reasonable. I'm going to charge you unreasonably for that just because I can.