Who Should Pay to Replace This Carpet?

[cbg1027]

My friends are renting a property my mother owns. When they moved in a year ago, there were some bleached out spots in the carpet in a bedroom. My friends told my mom they didn't care about it and she didn't need to bother
replacing it for them.

Their lease will be up at the end of the month. They have 2 cats that peed in the bedroom with the bleached spots and in a carpeted closet under the steps.

My friends and my mom are arguing over who should pay for the carpet replacement. My mom feels they should pay for it because their cats damaged it. (We tried shampooing the carpet and the smell did not go away).

My friends don't feel they should be responsible for the cost of replacing the carpet since there were previous stains and it would have had to be replaced anyway. My mom feels they should pay for it, because if she had replaced the carpet previously, my friends would be paying for the new replacement now. And new tenants might say the same thing about the stains as my friends did.

My friends do agree they should pay for the area in the closet, but what about the bedroom? The closet area is a cheap fix because it's in an area where the rest of the flooring is tile. But the bedroom carpet extends across a hallway and in to another bedroom.

Just curious....what does everything think should happen here?

 

[mom2brina]

Ooh, sticky situation.

I'm not sure who should pay for what, but have you tried pouring vinegar on the cat pee stains? I don't know if it works for cat urine, but I've used it on dog urine and it does neutralize the smell. You just literally soak the spots with vinegar and let it dry - don't soak it up.

Is it possible that the bleach stains in the carpet could have come from previous renters trying to clean up pet stains? Maybe that is why the cats peed in there in the first place????

 

[chloelovesdisney]

The carpet was not in good shape when they moved in and needed to be replaced anyway, so no, they should not responsible for paying for new carpeting.

Yes, they should pay to replace the carpeting under the stairs.

I think I should have been a judge, lol.

 

[mitsybella]

Was there any kind of lease agreement? it is possible that the house could have been re-rented with the bleach stains but not with carpet that has pet urine odors. Cat urine is much stronger than dogs and harder to get rid of we had both and the cat smell never really went away . We have a lease agreement that has a pet deposit for just this reason, and it clearly spells out any damage from the pets is the tenants responsiblilty to fix/repair.

 

[leebee]

Try "Nature's Miracle" stain/odor neutralizer, and make sure it's the one for cats. It works pretty well. It's a white bottle with red printing and I get it at Petco.

An apartment can be rented with a carpet with bleach stains but not with a stinky, cat-pee carpet. They are NOT leaving your property in the condition in which it was rented. Not sure if there's a lease or a deposit, but they clearly damaged the carpet beyond use and should have to pay to have it cleaned or replaced. If there isn't a lease/deposit, I guess there really isn't much you can do but say "lesson learned."

 

[Justsyd2]

The carpet was not in good shape when they moved in and needed to be replaced anyway, so no, they should not responsible for paying for new carpeting.

Yes, they should pay to replace the carpeting under the stairs.

I think I should have been a judge, lol.

I totally agree with this! They should both pay.

 

[Cruise]

My friends don't feel they should be responsible for the cost of replacing the carpet since there were previous stains and it would have had to be replaced anyway. My mom feels they should pay for it, because if she had replaced the carpet previously, my friends would be paying for the new replacement now. And new tenants might say the same thing about the stains as my friends did.

Bolding mine - But the fact is, she didn't replace the carpet previously. They (and I would even add "generously") agreed to live with the carpet that wasn't perfect to begin with when they didn't have to. And honestly, your mom would have ended up paying more anyway even if the cats hadn't damaged the carpet because she would have paid for replacement carpet then and would be paying for carpet cleaning (again, even without the cat pee - just for new tenants) now. Carpet should get a basic cleaning between tenants no matter what.

My friends do agree they should pay for the area in the closet, but what about the bedroom? The closet area is a cheap fix because it's in an area where the rest of the flooring is tile. But the bedroom carpet extends across a hallway and in to another bedroom.

Just curious....what does everything think should happen here?

I own two rental properties myself. And, honestly, I think your mom should be paying to replace the bedroom carpet. It was damaged before your friends moved in and she's going to have to replace it eventually anyway. I even think it's great that your friends are agreeing to replace the previously undamaged carpet in the closet under the stairs. It beats having to argue with them about that.

 

[Jaklackus]

They agreed to rent the apartment with the bleached stained carpeting....they needed to leave the apartment in the condition they accepted it in less normal wear and tear...and cat pee is not normal wear and tear. The sub flooring may need to be cut out and replaced as well to remove the smell.

Was there a deposit...and additional pet deposit? Were pets allowed per the lease?

 

[Zoesmama03]

My first question would be were any deposits paid at the lease signing????

Most apartments replace carpet after every tenant but not all do. If she didn't charge a deposit then perhaps the friend is liable. Pet damage is usually taken care of with a pet deposit and or pet rent. It doesn't sound like this was in the lease so yes I would say the tenant should replace it regardless.

Pets are a big one and your mother should have required a pet deposit to cover this. Was this in the agreement if so then any deposits should cover if not then yes they should be paying to replace it now. I agree with your mother, the tenant should be responsible for pet damage including pet odor on carpet. The carpet is not in the condition it was in at start therefore regardless of the prior bleach stain carpet would need replacing if their animal pee'd on carpet.

 

[cbg1027]

Hmm we'll look in to the vinegar thing. Thanks.

We've tried using the Nature's Miracle for Cat Odors with little success.

The carpet was cleaned before my friends moved in. The spots are bleach, we think, so it was not something that came out, but the carpets were in clean condition, so my friends agreed to live with the spots.

There is a lease agreement, but I don't know what the exact wording is, I haven't read it myself.

There was a regular deposit of $1075.

My mother only charged a $100 non-refundable pet fee for 2 cats and a dog since these are my friends. Usually she would charge more like $250depending on the age and type of animals.

If these were not friends, then my mother would probably just keep the deposit and use that towards the carpet replacement. But these people are my best friends and we all do a lot for each other. So I don't want either party to feel 'jipped'.

 

[patsal]

They agreed to rent the apartment with the bleached stained carpeting....they needed to leave the apartment in the condition they accepted it in less normal wear and tear...and cat pee is not normal wear and tear. The sub flooring may need to be cut out and replaced as well to remove the smell.

Was there a deposit...and additional pet deposit? Were pets allowed per the lease?

Exactly. The existing damage when they moved in should be the only damage that was left. I rented for 7 years before DH and I purchased our first house. Previous damage to a carpet was the norm whenever we moved. It was noted, no additonal damage or it would have been our responsibility to pay. Bleach spots do not negate the usefulness of carpets, untreated cat urine does.
On a different note, our home had a cat pee smell when we bought it, The previous owners didn't clean up properly and it was down to the subfloor and baseboards. Once we removed and replaced the subfloor and base board area of drywall back to the studs, bleached the studs, and re drywalled we were finally clear of the smell.

 

[kim929]

They should be responsible for some of the replacement cost. How old is the rug? It needed to be replaced at the time they moved in, agreed to live with the stains probably as a way to help save their friends mother money. You have to factor in the normal wear and tear on the rug for the year, then take into consideration the cat pee. they should probably pay for a 1/3 since your mother should of replaced it when they moved in. The only way they would be fully responsible is if she replaced the rug then it was damaged, which is not the case.

 

[tlh0726]

Hmm we'll look in to the vinegar thing. Thanks.

We've tried using the Nature's Miracle for Cat Odors with little success.

The carpet was cleaned before my friends moved in. The spots are bleach, we think, so it was not something that came out, but the carpets were in clean condition, so my friends agreed to live with the spots.

There is a lease agreement, but I don't know what the exact wording is, I haven't read it myself.

There was a regular deposit of $1075.

My mother only charged a $100 non-refundable pet fee for 2 cats and a dog since these are my friends. Usually she would charge more like $250depending on the age and type of animals.

If these were not friends, then my mother would probably just keep the deposit and use that towards the carpet replacement. But these people are my best friends and we all do a lot for each other. So I don't want either party to feel 'jipped'.

Two questions
What did the $100 non refundable deposit state that it was for? Depending on what that states, that is all that she may legally be able to charge them for pet damage.

If the bleach spots were there when the last tenant moved out, why wasn't that tenant charged to replace it??

If the currant tenant would have cleaned and/or masked the smell you would not have known about any potential underlying problems until after they moved out and security deposit was refunded. (been there)

If things were to get nasty and ended up going to court, the judge will take into consideration the age of the carpeting and the previous damage done and most likely prorate any settlement.

At this point your mother needs to get 2 estimates
1. To replace the carpeting in the closet.
2. To professionally clean the carpet to remove the pet odors in the bedroom.
Take these amounts out of the security deposit and call it a done.

Two things you never lend money or rent to family or friends. Neither turn out well in the end.

 

[Green Tea]

Once they get the carpet issue worked out, get the carpet out and see if the floor underneath has to be ripped out. Cat pee smell permiates everything. If it went thru to the wood, to get rid of the smell that may have to be replaced as well.

 

[DeniseinNS]

Since there was talk of the carpet being replaced before they move it it would have had to have been done after they did move out anyways so I don't think they should be charged. If it has soaked through to the floor underneath then they should be partially responsible.

 

[maggieusa]

Since your friend already paid the pet deposit that all she should have to pay your mom should have releazied cats can be mesy If you go to these big apartment complex they want a 200 to 250 deposit of each animal this is suppose too cover damanges done by the animal. I hope this does not ruin you friendship with you friiend.

 

[Colinsmom]

Your mother should pay to replace the carpet and padding (sounds like that was going to be done anyways) given the condition of the carpet. Your friends should cover any damage under the padding - subfloor, etc.

It should be possible to replace the carpet in only the one room, even if the same carpet extends into the hallway. I'd talk to a carpet installer about that one.

ETA: Closet carpet is definitely the renter's responsibility.

 

[NYCDiane]

Bedroom carpet NO

Closet carpet YES

There's no reason they should have to pay for a carpet that was already ruined when they moved in.

 

[hoffmann2828]

I agree with most of the other posters -

Your mom needed to replace the carpet before, most renters if it was bad enough would have insisted prior to renting.

So your mom (IMO) got a 1 year reprieve on paying out and replacing is all.

I do agree that additional damage to any floorboards, baseboards, etc. is the renters problem (as well as that other closet area) and should come out of the pet deposit. If there isn't enough of a pet deposit, I think your mom should eat it (the difference) and make sure she gets more up front next time for pets.

Jenny

 

[CowboyCO]

Your mother should pay to replace the carpet and padding (sounds like that was going to be done anyways) given the condition of the carpet. Your friends should cover any damage under the padding - subfloor, etc.

It should be possible to replace the carpet in only the one room, even if the same carpet extends into the hallway. I'd talk to a carpet installer about that one.

ETA: Closet carpet is definitely the renter's responsibility.

I think we have a winner! You should be an arbitrator!