Worried - Landlord & New Carpets

[JellyBeanToes]

Hello,

Im hoping someone can offer any advice.
We are due to move out of our rented home next week, we have lived here 3 years and have kept the house very nicely.

Yesterday our estate agent called to advise the landlord is looking to replace all of the carpets in the house and could a carpet fitter visit to price the works. We agreed and the carpet fitted visited an hour later.
Today I received a call from the estate agent advising me that the landlord wants to send another carpet fitter and again I agreed, this time on the phone I asked if I should cancel the professional carpet cleaning which is booked for next week prior to us moving.
The estate agent advised that she would ask the landlord. On her return call she advised me that the landlord won’t know if he is changing the carpets until we have left so to go ahead with the clean - Fine, no issue.

However, when I asked her if the carpet replacement will come out of our deposit she said it possibly will if the landlord decides to change the carpets.

I can’t help but feel that we are possibly being set up to foot the bill for the new carpets? They haven’t carried out our final inspection, the carpets will have been cleaned and the carpets are in really good condition. And the landlord is making plans to have the carpets replaced while we still live here.

Where do we stand with this? If the landlord is changing the carpets out of choice should that come from our deposit?

Thank you for any advice!

Is your deposit protected?

Can you get the estate agent to confirm in writing the carpet fitters and the cleaning request? Just send an email asking for confirmation about your discussion see if they will confirm it in writing

No, the landlord can't get betterment. Clean the carpets, take pictures and don't agree to any deductions from your deposit. Shameful of them to try!

Were the carpets new when you moved in? Carpets in a rental have a 5 year life span.

Yes the deposit is protected.
I asked for it all to be put in an email and I later received an email from the Lettings director basically advising what our contract states about leaving the house cleaned to a high standard. I replied advising that I understood that but I was looking for clarification about the carpets being replaced and they replied stating that any deductions from our deposit will be advised after our check out inspection 😖

No, so the carpets were fitted in 2018 when the house was a new build, making these carpets around 6 years old.

It sounds like an estate agent being rubbish to me. What they are not saying is: we will charge you for ruined carpets if you have ruined any, but we won’t charge you for normal wear and tear. Of course they haven’t actually communicated with the carpet fitter who can confirm you have not ruined any carpets, so they won’t comment either way.

Six years if they are still in very good condition seems like overkill to me. I bet they are getting backhanders from the Carpet firm and are telling your LL “well they could do with replacing actually.”

Either way, I would be pushing for them NOT to install new carpets until you have left. It makes no sense inconveniencing you and adding to the risk of your deposit having deductions in the event your furniture tears up a brand new, instead of old carpet as you move out.

Don't facilitate the carpet fitter

This. A thousand times.

Write to the estate agent and copy the landlord saying that you do not give permission for the existing carpet to be removed unless the landlord completes an inspection and confirms that there is no damage beyond reasonable wear and tear and takes account of the age of the carpet.