Tenant Laws On Carpet Replacement

By Tenant

A tenant is required to pay a security deposit to a landlord upon signing of lease agreement and moving in. A security deposit is intended to be used by the landlord to do repairs on the rental unit that is caused by the tenant himself.

Carpet replacement is one of the most common problems tenants face with their security deposit. Many landlords charge tenants to pay for carpet replacement for no apparent reason. Listed below are some facts you should know about carpet replacement.

  • Security Deposit

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. 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. Also it is illegal for your landlord to charge for carpet replacement when the carpet only suffered from normal wear and tear.

  • Receipts

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. The deductions should be itemized and sent to the tenant along with the receipts.

  • Time Frame

According to many state laws landlords are given 21 days to return the security deposit of his tenants or provide the tenant with the itemized list and receipts of all the charges deducted on the security deposit. If a landlord fail to provide you with the itemized statement then your landlord cannot keep your security deposit.

It would be best if you, as a tenant, would know your landlord-tenant law and state laws so that you have a say on what your landlord will do with your security deposit.

Edited on: Friday, July 5th, 2013 1:50 am

15 Responses to “Tenant Laws On Carpet Replacement”

My response: (We welcome stories, examples, explanations, answers and a touch of your personality)
 

Ashleigh

July 5th, 2013 2:00 am

How would I know that my landlord is not just making the receipts up?


Raul

July 5th, 2013 10:00 am

Can my landlord charge me for carpet replacement when he already charged me for cleaning costs?


Ariel

July 5th, 2013 6:20 pm

How can I determine if the damages on the carpet are normal wear and tear?


Ramiro

July 6th, 2013 2:20 am

Can I file for small claims court if my landlord deducted my security deposit but did not gave an itemized list of the charges?


Ivory

July 6th, 2013 10:40 am

Crooked landlords always charge carpet replacement when in fact they don’t have to.


Takako

July 6th, 2013 6:40 pm

So good to know about these facts.


Marguerita

July 7th, 2013 3:00 am

Knowing your state laws and tenants laws is really very important.


Roberto

July 7th, 2013 11:00 am

With knowledge like this


Logan

July 7th, 2013 7:20 pm

My landlord over-charged me for the carpet when I moved out


Chauncey

July 8th, 2013 3:40 am

What can a landlord do with my security deposit?


Junior

July 8th, 2013 11:40 am

My pet accidently stripped and torn the carpet at its side


Sanjuanita

July 8th, 2013 8:00 pm

My landlord demanded that I replace the carpet in my rental unit even though there are no damages made to it just normal wear and tear. Said that the carpet already exceeds its life expectancy. Can I refuse to replace it?


Melody

July 9th, 2013 4:00 am

File a complaint against your landlord if they withhold your security deposit.


Lorina

July 9th, 2013 12:00 pm

What can I do my landlord withhold my deposit?


Georgiana

July 9th, 2013 8:20 pm

Where can I file a complaint against my landlord for not returning my deposit?


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