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Original poster

Tenant burnt the carpet.

19 replies

Lesley1980 · 24/02/2017 17:02

We are accidental landlords because we can't sell our flat. Carpets in the bedroom are1.5 years old & like new as first tenant was spotless. The current tenant is moving out after 6 months & has burnt the carpet in 3 places (looks like straighteners as straight lines) & our letting agent has asked us if we want to deduct money from her deposit. How much should we deduct? Cost of new carpet & fitting? A percentage? I'm guessing a new carpet & fitting would be £200-300 unless we got an off cut or something.

I feel bad deducting money but she has ruined a carpet. I also feel surely after the first burn she should have been more careful.

The flat is well maintained & painted 6 months ago so it's not a slum & we want to keep it nice.

OP posts:
redexpat · 24/02/2017 17:06

Im not a LL but think you would be entirely reasonable to deduct the cost of a new carpet in that room and fitting. That is what a deposit is for isnt it? To pay for damage to the property.

WateryTart · 24/02/2017 17:06

That's what the deposit is for - and she did it 3 times!

LIZS · 24/02/2017 17:10

Ours did this with an iron. We couldn't replace as was matching hall, stairs and landing but had we claimed on insurance we would have deducted excess. In the end as there was some laid under the stairs to patch from we charged for that instead.

FrancisCrawford · 24/02/2017 17:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pdunne · 24/02/2017 17:36

Depends how long you thought the carpet should last. I believe the deposit schemes have guidance for this. If it's say 5 years and this one is 1.5 years old you could claim 3.5 (which is 5-1.5) divided by 5 times the cost of the new carpet as that's the extra expenditure you've had as a result of the damage.

Your tenant may accept a larger figure, but if it went to a dispute the deposit scheme aren't supposed to award you the cost of getting something new one for damage to something that's old.

specialsubject · 24/02/2017 18:26

Evil bastard landlord here. You do not get a new carpet, that is betterment. You get a ratio of the expected life of the carpet (generally 8 years) , with the life used (1.5 years) and the area damaged.

Sorry. And people wonder why rentals have cheap carpet...

Bedsheets4knickers · 24/02/2017 19:08

I'm a tenant and would expect the cost of a new carpet to go out of my bond . Wear and tear is one thing . Being purposely destructive is another .

wowfudge · 24/02/2017 20:51

Sadly, being an idiot with hot hair straighteners isn't purposely destructive.

Bedsheets4knickers · 24/02/2017 21:47

3 times it is

adriennewillfly · 24/02/2017 22:53

Completely agree with specialsubject. As much as I hate landlords.

specialsubject · 24/02/2017 22:54

Most mn post ever.....

LoveMyLittleSuperhero · 24/02/2017 22:56

I'm a tenant, (with a lovely landlord thank god) if I burnt the carpet once accidentally I would expect to pay for a repair/replacement, if I burnt it three times I'd expect a bad reference (kiss of death where I live) and to pay for a new one!

AnnoyingKitten · 24/02/2017 23:00

I am a tenant and unfortunately my DD burnt the carpet by putting the hairdryer on it. Also the cat has scratched it up by the door ( how can you stop them doing that?). I am assuming we won't be getting out deposit back when we eventually leave because the carpet will need replacing. I don't think it's unreasonable for you to have the cost of a new carpet.

scaryteacher · 25/02/2017 09:06

Annoyingkitten I have a bog standard door mat, one of the old fashioned coir ones, that my two use as a scratch mat by the kitchen door. One of them also scratches the old small rug in front of the fireplace. Can you put a small rug or mat down for scratching purposes?

Thereshegoesagain · 25/02/2017 09:10

Yep I'd charge them for new carpet and fitting.

ver0ver0 · 25/02/2017 10:21

I had an iron accident when we used to rent. The carpet in the room was old, worn out by the door and not cleaned when we moved in (stated on the inventory). The LL was asking £40 for the damage. We have offered £20. We had to go through the DPS dispute in the end as there were more issues... The LL was awarded £40 for the damaged carpet.
I don't think that you can ask for a brand new carpet. I agree what pdunne and specialsubject wrote above...

dangermouseisace · 26/02/2017 12:49

I'm a tenant and have had bad experiences with land lords… however, I'd fully expect to have to pay for the damage caused as you have described. If it's just the one patch I wouldn't expect to replace carpet but 3 separate patches (I'm assuming 3 separate incidents) then you can't reasonably patch it up.

Once is an accident, 3 is completely careless.

specialsubject · 26/02/2017 13:30

Careless, accident, deliberate damage - makes no difference. The deposit scheme rules are as I said. No way to prove if accident or entitled wrecker, so nothing else can be done.

rockchic65 · 07/01/2023 14:40

Ive had a lodger who denied 3 times smoking in his room.when he went out I still could smell tobacco so decided to investigate. To my horror ashtray was in the wardrobe fag burns on the table and butt ends tucked away in a gap beyween wardrobe and chest off draws along with burnt holes in carpet.photos taken but he still denied ever smoking in the room bit off an asshole gave him notice no deposit for him.carpet was less than a year old

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