Can A Landlord Charge For Cleaning Carpet

A landlord can charge for cleaning if the carpet is excessively dirty and or damaged.

Can a landlord charge for cleaning carpet.

Learn how much a landlord can charge for carpet cleaning and replacement and under what circumstances. Many landlords automatically charge for painting the apartment after the tenant vacats but surprisingly do not charge the tenant for this if the tenant has the landlord paint while still in possession. It is important to know a few fundamental principles. The amount that a landlord can charge for cleaning a unit depends on the state the unit was rented out in the state the unit was returned in and the general rules of wear and tear.

For example carpeting has a useful life of 10 years. If a unit was rented out in a brand new condition and returned very dirty the landlord could charge 200 to 500 dollars to get things clean depending on what. Landlords can charge tenants for any damages that are beyond normal wear and tear including carpets that are badly stained or damaged. According to the department of agriculture trade and consumer protection landlords cannot charge for routine carpet cleaning during the lease or from a security deposit no matter what your lease says.

The same goes for painting. Depending on the age of the appliance or carpet the landlord must pro rate the cost against the average life of the appliance or carpet. A landlord or letting agent can t make you use the services of a specific cleaning firm at the end of your tenancy but they can charge you for their own cleaning costs if the property is not left in a fit condition for the next tenant. In other words landlords bear the cost of the routine carpet cleaning when a tenant moves out.

The law is that the landlord may deduct the cost of cleaning for unclean condition beyond normal wear and tear. If the carpet cleaning does not exceed a professional cleaner s normal rate and the carpet doesn t have any actual damage landlords should not charge a tenant for dirty carpets. Also the lease agreement may stipulate that the tenants handle the carpet cleaning before they vacate the property. In fact whilst cleaning standards can be subjective it is the most common claim made by a landlord for a deduction from the deposit.

When determining the amount to charge to repair the carpet for damage beyond normal wear and tear your landlord should take in to consideration the age and or quality of the carpet when you moved in. You should leave a property in the same standard of cleanliness at the end of the tenancy as it was at the start of the tenancy. The real deal with carpet cleaning.