Generally the longer you live in an apartment the more wear and tear is expected and ordinary.
In ma can a landlord charge for carpet replacement.
In some states the landlord may bring legal action against a former tenant if the damage exceeds the security deposit.
Also normal wear and tear to carpets drapes and other furnishings cannot be charged against a tenant s security deposit normal wear and tear includes simple wearing down of carpet and drapes because of normal use or aging and includes moderate dirt or spotting.
If you ve damaged the carpet the landlord is not likely to replace it on his dime.
Ordinary wear and tear does not justify a deduction from your deposit.
Expected life of carpet.
A landlord cannot deduct the cost of repainting or replacing carpet from the security deposit for normal wear and tear or even when the walls and carpet have met the useful life terms.
A landlord cannot routinely charge each tenant for cleaning carpets drapes walls or windows in order to prepare the rental unit for the next tenancy.
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.
10 years depreciation charge 1 000 10.
Original cost of carpet.
A landlord may not deduct for routine painting or carpet cleaning where there is no unusual damage caused by tenant abuse.
10 years 8 years 2 years.
Housing and urban development hud guidelines for carpet.
Carpet life years remaining.
But when it comes to a carpet that is badly stained or damaged a landlord can charge a tenant for cleaning costs or even to replace the entire carpet if it s that badly damaged or stained and they can do it by withholding all or part of the security deposit.
Also it is illegal for your landlord to charge for carpet replacement when the carpet only suffered from normal wear and tear.
If your landlord will replace the carpet in your rental unit then he must provide you with a copy of the receipts of the charges that they deducted on your security deposit.
Using the same example with a life expectancy of nine years and if a replacement carpet of similar quality would cost 2 000 the landlord could properly charge only 222 22 for only one years worth of life use that would have remained if the tenant had not damaged the carpet.
If the carpet originally cost 1 000 and had a life expectancy of 10 years the depreciation charge would be 100 per year.
What important things do you need to keep in mind when it comes to landlord carpet replacement.
Children for example tend to put their hands on.
Those things if not cleaned up properly can cause some serious health issues.
100 per year age of carpet.
