California Rental Laws Carpet Cleaning

On the other hand the landlord needing to call in a professional cleaning crew because the tenant didn t clean and allowed bugs to take over the property would not be the landlord s responsibility.

California rental laws carpet cleaning.

Even if no damage to the rental property carpet has occurred age and normal wear eventually triggers the need for replacement. 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. As an exception to the above no state requires the landlord to replace repair damaged carpet if the damage to the carpet has been caused by the tenant. In other words landlords bear the cost of the routine carpet cleaning when a tenant moves out.

Under california landlord tenant guidelines a carpet s useful life. For instance an inordinate amount of pet hair or a urine smell left in the carpet would be beyond normal wear and tear as these are avoidable conditions and beyond normal use. Thus if the tenant s damage cheated three years out of the carpets life the landlord under california law could only hold the tenant responsible for 300. Should the landlord choose to repair or replace the carpet anyway the tenant may be made to pay for the cost of the same.

If the carpet originally cost 1 000 and had a life expectancy of 10 years the depreciation charge would be 100 per year. California law does not specify when landlords must replace carpeting in rental units. Additionally a tenant may be charged for cleaning where the tenant has caused filth beyond ordinary use. Check your local and state laws to be sure that there are no additional requirements.

Department of housing and urban development 451 7th street s w washington dc 20410 telephone.