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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

I rent - should I get new carpets?

38 replies

HairsprayBabe · 24/10/2018 10:16

Now I am not planning to rip up the carpets and put new ones in before you go off on one but I really need some advice and I can't seem to find any on shelter etc.

My house was HORRIBLY re-fitted before I moved in (3 years ago). Most things are pretty liveable with however save for the flooring.

The carpets and kitchen lino were fitted by some sort of potato monkey, everything was cut too small and the carpet doesn't go up to the edge of the room. This is in every single room in the house.

The carpet is fraying and coming up at the edges it looks terrible and it is a trip hazard, especially in the kitchen because the room is half lino half carpet and there is a big carpet gripper with frayed and lifting carpet halfway across the room. DSD is tripping on it constantly and we keep catching socks ect on it.

We have contacted the estate agent about the carpets before and we have been told the landlord doesn't see an issue with the carpets and it is his house so we can't force him to get new carpets.

My AIBU is this - Should I just live with the shitty slightly dangerous carpets OR WIBU to go down the route of getting 3 quotes for new carpets getting them fitted PROPERLY and then billing the Landlord.

Most advice says you can do this for essential repairs but I don't know if this comes under that?

OP posts:
GU24Mum · 24/10/2018 10:18

No, don't replace the carpets unless (which I'm sure you don't!) you want to pay for them yourself. They aren't essential and although they sound pretty awful, you took the house like that so unfortunately your options are to ask him to replace them or say you'll leave otherwise.

ginghamstarfish · 24/10/2018 10:22

Sounds like the LL may have reused carpet etc from another house if it's not fitted properly. If it's a health and safety hazard you need to speak to Shelter or try your local CAB. I don't think you can do it then bill him, appealing as that sounds. The agent needs to help with this too, if they are managing the property.

Original poster
HairsprayBabe · 24/10/2018 10:29

They go up to the wall in some places and not others like they were cut skewed and you don't notice it immediately - except for the kitchen unless you are looking for it - but in the living room the carpet is a good inch from the wall in a certain spot!!

I just feel like I live in a crap hole!

We viewed the house unrestored, when we moved in it had been "done up" and I pointed out that the carpets were shonky - Letting agent said he would contact LL over them and we were told that LL thinks the carpets are fine so tough.

OP posts:
PenelopeFlintstone · 24/10/2018 10:30

You could get new carpets fitted on top of the old ones, but you'd have to pay for that yourself. Then you could take them with you when you move; they might be useful in the next place.
You might be able to persuade them that the kitchen one needs fixing or replacing though.

faeriequeen · 24/10/2018 14:29

Could you put a rug over the dangerous bits?

MysteryNameChange · 24/10/2018 14:35

We've had similar troubles. Finally got out bathroom lino replaced as the gaps were causing the floor boards underneath to rot only for the same shoddy job to be repeated with a different lino. Our potato monkey also dented our bathroom bin by lashing the bin out the room and chipped the bath enamel with is now rapidly rustingAngryAngryAngry

Our bedroom carpets are shit and since potty training DD they stink so I think we are going to pay to replace them ourselves as a treat, we do plan on staying here a while. Too scared to ask the LL to do anything himself in case his shit workmen return to trash our stuff again.

Thisreallyisafarce · 24/10/2018 14:37

No, don't pay for this yourself. Move house.

lastqueenofscotland · 24/10/2018 14:38

Hi hairspray!!

Unfortunately you probably have a taken as seen clause.
If you get them done yourself there is a high chance your landlord won’t pay if you bill him. He’d be under no legal obligation too sadly

SilentIsla · 24/10/2018 14:42

What is a potato monkey?

Original poster
HairsprayBabe · 24/10/2018 14:48

I can't really put a rug at the edges of the rooms or in doorways, and in the kitchen it would get filthy and in the way of the back door the room has an odd layout.

OP posts:
chillpizza · 24/10/2018 14:48

Our carpets where rubbish and threadbare in places when we moved in many many years ago in a rush my LL doesn’t want to replace them despite it being flagged on a few inspections as a hazard as it’s the stairs/landing. I’ve also had contractors come and bodge jobs ruining walls/other carpets LL doesn’t care presumably because they don’t have to live looking at it.

Imknackeredzzz · 24/10/2018 14:49

Mysterynamechange

When you say since potty training your DD your carpets stink, I think you would be duty bound to replace in those circumstances! Not the landlords fault if your daughter has weed and pooed on the carpets!!

BackToTheFuschia7 · 24/10/2018 14:49

I know it’s not simple or easy but could you move?

This attitude ’we were told that LL thinks the carpets are fine so tough’ shows the LL doesn’t give a crap about his tenants and I’d hate to give him another penny. Tough indeed. I wonder if he’d be happy living there.

Original poster
HairsprayBabe · 24/10/2018 14:54

@Thisreallyisafarce moving is not an option atm

Hi lasty!
SO frustrating as DP was told when the house was renovated that the carpets would be done, they were but badly, and then assured they would be fixed but only verbally!

A potato monkey is a crappy workman.

OP posts:
dangermouseisace · 24/10/2018 14:56

No way would I spend money. If you replaced carpets and billed him I’d fully anticipate getting a section 21 (notice to quit) 2 months before your contract is up. As pp has said, I’d look into moving somewhere with a landlord who gives a shit.

EwItsAHooman · 24/10/2018 14:58

Contact the letting agent and tell them the carpets are a hazard to health - you could trip and be injured, if you were carrying hot liquids or something sharp you could injure yourself or someone else, you could cut yourself on the exposed grips, your DD could get tangled in the exposed threads/strangulation hazard, etc etc. Remind them that they have a legal obligation to make the property free from health hazards and that any fixtures and fittings supplied by them/the landlord must be in safe condition.

Fontofnoknowledge · 24/10/2018 15:03

I would ask to move this to legal. Some very helpful lawyers there who may be able to tell you your legal position. The kitchen trip hazard does sound like something LL would be obliged to deal with but in AiBU you are just going to get people's best guess.

Welcome0ffice2 · 24/10/2018 15:04

Carpets are expensive ! Secondly, you moved into the property knowing what the carpets are like. The landlord does not have to replace the carpet. There was a thread a while ago, where a tenant wanted the carpets replaced with wooden floors.

chillpizza · 24/10/2018 15:05

Since when are the carpets LL buy expensive Hmm they always buy the cheapest and get them fitted by the cheapest person that’s why they are always crap and ruin so fast.

Original poster
HairsprayBabe · 24/10/2018 15:07

@Welcome0ffice2

We viewed the house before it was renovated

We were told the carpets would be changed

We only saw them again on moving day and at that point it was move in or be homeless...

We were also told when we pointed out that the carpets were shit that they would be fixed.

I am not asking for £1000s spent on full wool Axminster carpets I just want my home to be safe.

Posted in AIBU for traffic as I never seem to get responses to threads elsewhere

OP posts:
Fontofnoknowledge · 24/10/2018 16:17

I understand why you would do that but AIBU is just populated with a lot of angry people looking for a fight. It's unlikely you will get many helpful replies. Instead a lot of people telling you how unreasonable you are being to want to live in a safe pleasant environment.

Original poster
HairsprayBabe · 24/10/2018 16:23

@Fontofnoknowledge
I should have known better really!

I'll give shelter another call - I am most concerned about the kitchen, especially tripping with knives or hot food. It is the biggest room in the house and doubles as DSDs play room so we need it to be safe!

The other rooms are bad but it is round the edges and we are not planning on living here for ever.

What a twat hey, I should just move house and not be such an entitled CF snowflake Wink

OP posts:
MysteryNameChange · 24/10/2018 16:26

Imknackeredzzz unless the letting agents crawl around on there hands and knees sniffing all areas of the carpet for the leaving inventory I doubt they'll notice. They've been cleaned just smell when you have your nose right up to them. Pretty sure that if the landlord tried to deduct from our deposit for 'slight urine smell on some areas of carpet' then the tenency deposit scheme judicator would roll around laughing at them! Morally, if the landlord wasn't so shoddy and money grabbing then I would feel obliged to replace them. If we don't replace them I'll get them cleaned before leaving but only as a courtesy to the next tenent.

MrsMoastyToasty · 24/10/2018 16:27

Why don't you get a carpet fitter in and see if they can re-fit or re-stretch the existing carpets?

SusannahL · 24/10/2018 16:33

OP why don't you ask the agent to point out to the landlord that the state of the carpets and flooring mean that he would struggle to re-let when/if you moved out?

No landlord wants void periods of a property sitting empty.