Is A Tenant Responsible For Replacing Carpet

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Is a tenant responsible for replacing carpet.

It s your right to complain and the landlord should lay new carpet as necessary but landlords are obligated to replace your cruddy carpet only under specific circumstances. Bear in mind though that the carpet charges must be reasonable and that as a tenant you cannot be held responsible for any damages made to the carpet that were already present when you first moved in. But if the carpet is damaged she says it will be replaced at turnover before a new tenant moves in. For example if the carpet had a 10 year life expectancy but due to tenant damage had to be replaced after just seven years the tenant is only responsible for the useful life of the carpet that has been lost.

Many states allow a landlord to deduct legally a tenant s security deposit to replace the rental carpet by the time the tenant decides to move out. If the carpet in a rental unit is damaged and must be replaced the damage the tenant is responsible for must be prorated appropriately. A tenant is not responsible for normal wear and tear to the walls and floor. Should the landlord choose to repair or replace the carpet anyway the tenant may be made to pay for the cost of the same.

As an exception to the above no state requires the landlord to replace repair damaged carpet if the damage to the carpet has been caused by the tenant. If the carpet in a rental unit is damaged and needs to be replaced the tenant is not responsible to buy a new carpet all by him but instead he is only responsible for the prorated price to the damage he caused to the carpet. For example if the tenant damages the carpet and was cheated three years out of the life. One of the benefits of being a renter as opposed to being a homeowner is that the landlord is responsible for many costly home improvement projects like replacing a leaky roof or updating dying.

If the carpet costs a thousand dollars then a tenant would be responsible for two hundred dollars of that total. Replace the entire carpet if there are large stains from spills from coffee soup or wine that could not be removed the landlord can charge the tenant for however much it costs to clean that specific section.