According to california law landlords can only charge tenants for carpet and paint under certain conditions.
Can an apartment make you pay for carpet.
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.
Listed below are some facts you should know about carpet replacement.
This would mean the tenant is required to get the carpets professionally cleaned before leaving the apartment.
Once you learn whether or not you as a long term tenant will pay those costs you.
If they charge you you can insist on seeing the original installation receipt since you may not be charged for an upgrade.
If you re a landlord be check the carpet s warranty.
A landlord cannot make you pay for carpet cleaning automatically.
They will have to recoup the costs another way.
The specific numbers are not set by law so there is no single set answer about how much can be charged.
This means the landlord can make you pay to clean up stains from spilled drinks or pets but the landlord cannot force you to use a specific.
However if the tenant fails to do so landlords can t deduct the standard cleaning from the deposit.
Carpets have a life expectancy of about 10 years.
Many landlords charge tenants to pay for carpet replacement for no apparent reason.
Most cleaning companies can clean an empty apartment for less than 200.
Apartment carpet sometimes has 5 year life really cheap and usual is 7 years.
Replacing carpets is costly and landlords often try to charge tenants for the expense.
What can i do if the landlord is trying to make me pay for routine carpet cleaning.
The landlord must prove the carpet needs to be professionally cleaned to put the apartment in the condition in which you received it.
After you move out of an apartment a landlord might withhold money from your security deposit for professional carpet cleaning that charge may be fair if you left the carpet in worse shape.
Carpet replacement is a hot button issue in a landlord and tenant relationship bad carpets are an eyesore and make living in the apartment unpleasant.
You can even ask that this information be documented in the lease.
Write a letter to the landlord explaining that they cannot deduct routine cleaning according to atcp 134 06 3 c that there have to be damages that are beyond normal wear and tear in order to charge for it.
The fee must be reasonable and take into account wear and tear.
If you re a tenant ask to see proof of how old the carpet is and when the landlord expects to replace it.