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Original poster

Landlord refusing to replace carpet

47 replies

owltrousers · 21/09/2017 10:13

I just want to get a couple of opinions on this matter if poss.

We live in a small 2 bed rental house in Bristol, we pay £805 a month for our house and rent through a lettings agent (next door have the mirror image house and they pay £500 to a private landlord, sickening!)

We've lived here 2 years and improved the property tenfold by repainting all the walls and ceilings and sorting the (overgrown) garden out for them.

One issue we have is the carpet. Its really old, once cream carpet with no underlay to speak of. Its hard, damp and very very grubby. Its getting to the point where hoovering just feels like polishing a turd. I'm fed up with it. I've asked several times for it to be replace and every time they've said no. In may we thought we were getting somewhere but they just sent someone round to shampoo it, which didn't look any different.

I have attached pics, what do you think. Have I got a case here? We are going to have a baby in a few months and there is no way I putting my baby anywhere near this carpet.

Thanks

OP posts:

LIZS · 21/09/2017 11:47

It looks grubby rather than worn. Have you tried a carpet cleaner (hire from diy or supermarket dry cleaner if you can't borrow one).

wowfudge · 21/09/2017 11:47

My guess is that while there are pets in the house the LL will not replace the carpet. If the carpet stinks despite cleaning then it may well be down to your dog I'm afraid, however clean you think he/she is because they do smell and living with them you stop noticing. Hire a Rug Doctor and use Persil small and mighty bio as the detergent. The enzymes used in warm water will destroy any nasties and the whole thing will smell a lot fresher. Put washable rugs and runners over it.

VickieCherry · 21/09/2017 11:52

Unfortunately this is one of the (many) downsides of renting. I'm not in the slightest bit surprised the landlord won't replace the carpet, especially as you have pets. Realistically, it's not his house, he's not living with it, it's doing its job and he's expecting that it will need cleaning/replacing when you leave anyway. I have lived with similar carpets in a rented place and they were truly grotty, so you have my sympathies.

I understand not wanting to move when you're having a baby soon, but it would be worth just keeping an eye out for somewhere and maybe planning to move once you're on mat leave. If you can find somewhere that accepts pets and has wood floors that are more easily cleaned, you'll be sorted by the time the baby is crawling.

tocas · 21/09/2017 11:53

To be honest I've lived in rented accom for the last 7 years and many have had grubby carpets... It's not fair by any means but they don't see why they should replace it and to be honest if you've got pets that's prob a factor too. Also on the plus side I feel better living in a rented house with grubby carpets as opposed to one with spotless carpets because it means if you have any accidents your whole deposit doesn't go down the drain. I'd offer to pay for replacement I your situation OP as agree wouldn't want a baby crawling on it

glow1984 · 21/09/2017 11:56

I can understand why the landlord doesn't want to do it, if you have pets. My sister has a rented flat and her carpet is worn down but she hasn't bothered to ask, because she knows her cats will probably ruin it!

I think you will have to at least offer to go halves on it, or buy yourself some nice big rugs.

RunningOutOfCharge · 21/09/2017 11:57

Yes and kids.... not a chance! We wouldn't

Trollspoopglitter · 21/09/2017 11:57

£200?! Wow, where are you getting this barganous carpet?! Underlay alone will cost you that.

Original poster

owltrousers · 21/09/2017 12:02

Thanks everyone.

I've emailed the lettings agency to see what they say. If they refuse I'll ask if we can negotiate 50/50 split or similar.

haha I estimated the carpet cost, its a small room about 3m x 3m and then a stretch of hallway. Would be laminate be more expensive than carpet does anyone know?

OP posts:

Shiftymake · 21/09/2017 12:50

Depends on where you shop and if you do it yourself or hire in help, prices should be roughly the same tbh.

PenelopeFlintstone · 21/09/2017 12:56

And 7 years is not old for a carpet but landlords are expected to fork out for new ones after such a short time.

specialsubject · 21/09/2017 13:44

Carpets in rentals are assumed trashed and valueless after eight years - this is what the deposit schemes say.

So it is knackered and the landlord should be budgeting for replacement - but with pets in the house the reluctance is understandable. Especially as they are clearly making the carpet smell.

Carpet is around £15 a square metre here with underlay and fitting, but op may be in expensive town.

I know what the reaction will be to this - but the op knows that having pets makes it very difficult to get a new rental and still chooses to keep them.

PenelopeFlintstone · 21/09/2017 14:39

Carpets in rentals are assumed trashed and valueless after eight years
Why do you think that is? How long do homeowners keep their carpets? 20 years? 30 years?
I am a landlord and have had new carpets trashed in their first year: hair dye and burns from hair straighteners.

5rivers7hills · 21/09/2017 14:52

I'd just hide it with a nice runner and rug TBH.

No Ll is going to want to pay for a new carpet with you in situ - pets/children...

It will get replaced when you move out no doubt.

Allthebestnamesareused · 21/09/2017 15:26

Just out of interest did the Landlord authorise you to decorate the flat?

wowfudge · 21/09/2017 15:41

The OP lives in a house - it's in the opening post.

Allthebestnamesareused · 21/09/2017 15:48

Ok - just out of interest did the Landlord give authorisation for you to decorate the HOUSE?

FilledSoda · 21/09/2017 16:27

I was wondering if you were allowed to redecorate too.
I assume you didn't change the colour scheme

wowfudge · 21/09/2017 16:28

No need to shout - several posters have referred to the OP's flat, in reference to laminate flooring, etc when she has stated it's a house.

Original poster

owltrousers · 21/09/2017 16:42

I just want to say - my pets have not made this grotty old carpet smell in the 2 years we've been here. Its always smelled.

People that live in rented houses want to have a happy family home just as much as those who own them, I see this anti-pets attitude as really quite unreasonable. 'OP chooses to keep them' is a ridiculous statement, they are members of our family.

OP posts:

bananafanana1 · 21/09/2017 16:48

I'm a landlord and there's no way I'd replace a carpet with tenants that have pets. I provide an immaculate house at the beginning of the tenancy.

I would however consider it if the tenants were good, had been there a while, had no pets and I wanted to keep them happy.

I'd change it for new tenants.

Here's hoping they'll go 50/50 with you OP but get a couple of quotes first to show them the costs.

If your landlord won't pay for carpet you could say you'll pay for it if he does rods and underlay?

TheKidsAreTakingMySanity · 21/09/2017 17:09

I would suggest laminate instead. Landlord may be more willing to put that down or even go 50/50. If it's a hallway too it will be better as a high traffic area and your pram (should you opt to keep it indoors) would not dirty it up. BTW, we kept our pram in the car boot. I don't think it ever came in the house as we were rural and never walked the baby home, we only came back in the car. The pram stayed pristine and didn't get a speck of mound or mildew being stored there.

Laminate isn't expensive these days. Our entire house is laminate now. Thank f^%K it was too because in our first year after moving here dog shit was walked all through the house by our kids and more often, their friends SEVEN TIMES! And we don't own a fucking dog!

BBackt0w0rk · 22/09/2017 02:20

If you ask the landlord to replace the carpet they are likely to increase your rent or take money off your deposit. You cannot replace it yourself without agreement from the landlord. I would suggest putting a new rug on top. New underlay, fitting and carpets are not cheap and why replace a small section, when it would be better to refurbish the whole house - preferably when unoccupied

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