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.
If you have been a good tenant I would be willing to replace the carpet and some additional painting, if your deposit was adequate to cover it. But not likely if you say you will move out in 2 years. Life expectancy | Old House Web
And if you did move out on two years I would definitely bill you for any and all damages.
I have had tenants buy the paint, but usually I'm happy to pay for it if a tenant wants to do the work. Sometimes I've regretted it, however (bad paint jobs). I don't think it would hurt to ask your landlord. If you're willing to pay for the paint, tell him you will if necessary, but either way you'd like new paint to make it look nicer.
Please, do a good job if you do paint. Get some old sheets from a motel/hotel. Many will have them that they'll sell for $1-$2 each. Or just get a plastic drop cloth at the paint store, along with masking tape to keep the new paint off the trim, etc.
You might be able to do something similar with new flooring. Carpet is the pits for rentals. Your cat ruined yours, but with others it's spilled kitchen grease, wine, cigarette burns, etc. Allure would probably give the condo a much needed update, and if you installed it (or hired it installed), it's about the same price as carpet, and I doubt your cat would ruin it. You might not even need to mention the cat damage if he's out of state, so paying for the installation might save your damage deposit.
(Incidentally, I'd just leave the darned doors open and let the cat have its way.)
If you have been a good tenant I would be willing to replace the carpet and some additional painting, if your deposit was adequate to cover it. But not likely if you say you will move out in 2 years. Life expectancy | Old House Web
And if you did move out on two years I would definitely bill you for any and all damages.
Don't know where they got 11 years, but I was in the business 40 years. The accepted standard is 5-7 years and that depends on the quality. An 18 oz carpet will not last as long as a 40 oz carpet. a commercial carpet will wear longer than a residential type carpet. That is why the average is 5-7 years.
You are lucky if some builder grade carpets last 3 years.
If you still have your cat then I wouldn't try to get another carpet put in.
If the cat is gone then I would ask the LL, maybe he will say yes. You could do research for carpet off cuts, ie end of roll, specials etc. If you do find a great special then you could send a letter to your landlord with photos of the old carpet, so he remembers how bad it is, (not close ups of where cat ruined it) and detailed information on the new carpet, photos if possible (keep neutral colors) that you have sourced with costs and that you are willing to do all the leg work for him if he just writes out the check. Also the same with the paint, find a sale, send him paint color cards and tell him that you are willing to do the painting so no labor costs to him.
Maybe also state that you would like to sign another lease to lock in then he knows you won't be moving out.
Either he will say yes or he'll say no. If he says no you could still buy yourself some carpet pieces and cover the areas where the cat ruined it. By the way, expect to lose your deposit, damage by a cat like that is not normal wear and tear so the LL will have the right to use the deposit towards fixing/replacing carpets even if they are really old.
I had a hallway that was hardwood polished floors and my cats running made small scratches in the wood. It costs me a few hundred to get someone in to sand and polish but was still worth getting my deposit back and still have a good tenant rating.
I had a hallway that was hardwood polished floors and my cats running made small scratches in the wood. It costs me a few hundred to get someone in to sand and polish but was still worth getting my deposit back and still have a good tenant rating.
The above could be risky, and unfair to the LL in the long term. It would certainly be breaking a clause in my lease to attempt this without LL approval.
Requesting these changes at the time a new lease is signed can be a good idea, but it's also a time for your LL to raise rent.
Trying to hide damage done by the cat would be dishonest, (something the OP has never suggested she'd do and in that way is a great tenant IMO) and the OP could be held responsible for the entire cost if it happened to the new carpet as well. A bad risk for the LL and the tenant with this cat still in the household.
I really think you need to be talking to your landlord. Not a bunch of strangers on the internet. That said. I have 3 cats and our carpet is 10 years old and other than a few area where the cat scratched. It is in fine condition as I vacuum every other day. Now, I own my own home but if I was a renter I would be replacing what my pet's damaged right before I move out. There is no use replacing the carpet now and then giving your cat 2 years to wreak more havoc.
If he replaces it now and you move in 2 years and the cat messed it up again not only will you lose the $750, you will probably have to cough up extra money to replace the 2 year ol carpet once again.
My advice is talk to the landlord. Tell him you want to repaint and get new carpet. See what he says. It is his property and his decision on what he wants to do.
The above could be risky, and unfair to the LL in the long term. It would certainly be breaking a clause in my lease to attempt this without LL approval.
Requesting these changes at the time a new lease is signed can be a good idea, but it's also a time for your LL to raise rent.
Trying to hide damage done by the cat would be dishonest, (something the OP has never suggested she'd do and in that way is a great tenant IMO) and the OP could be held responsible for the entire cost if it happened to the new carpet as well. A bad risk for the LL and the tenant with this cat still in the household.
I should of made it clear, the Landlord knew exactly what I was doing by having a qualified person come in and sand the floors and gave me permission. The marks were actually not deep scratches but I could see it when the front door was open with the sunlight and felt that I should have it fixed as it was my cats. The landlord actually said that I would not need to do it as I had lived there for 7 years and he considered it normal wear and tear but I felt that I should always leave a place as close to possible as to the day I move in.
As with the carpet pieces I mentioned it was to just lay on top, not to try to blend into the ruined and they would be removed when the person moved out. She should not attempt to hide any damage to the property and should speak to the LL about what occurred and hopefully that cat is now gone if she wants to continue to stay there with the hope of getting new carpets.
I should of made it clear, the Landlord knew exactly what I was doing by having a qualified person come in and sand the floors and gave me permission. The marks were actually not deep scratches but I could see it when the front door was open with the sunlight and felt that I should have it fixed as it was my cats. The landlord actually said that I would not need to do it as I had lived there for 7 years and he considered it normal wear and tear but I felt that I should always leave a place as close to possible as to the day I move in.
As with the carpet pieces I mentioned it was to just lay on top, not to try to blend into the ruined and they would be removed when the person moved out. She should not attempt to hide any damage to the property and should speak to the LL about what occurred and hopefully that cat is now gone if she wants to continue to stay there with the hope of getting new carpets.
Totally different scenario on the hardwood floor, than.
It was the bit about taking photos of the carpet, but make sure the part the cat damaged doesn't showed up that I was referring to...
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.
