Landlord hasn’t fixed carpet that we’ve reported multiple times!

[LeFxX]

Hi everyone. I would LOVE to share a photo
of what we’re dealing with in our rented property but afraid it’s too obvious for others who may know me if they come across this post.

We moved in 2.5 years ago. When we moved in it was obvious the carpets hadn’t been changed for quite some time. Sold history on Rightmove has this carpet in the photos from 2009!!! Anyway.. the estate agents assured us that the landlord wanted to get the carpets changed within two years, so we thought okay great.

When we moved in the carpets weren’t THAT bad but were coming up loose at doorways if you see what I mean, and some tacks were exposed. As time has gone on this has just gotten worse and worse. Now we’re dealing with a full safety hazard on one particular doorway as the carpet now sticks up about 4 inches, the metal stripping isn’t stuck down whatsoever and it is causing our two young children (2 and 7) to trip up multiple times a week.

Not to mention how often we catch our feet on the tacks too. We first reported it back in July of this year because it truly had started to become a problem. Since July it’s been nothing but constant back and forth phone calls, emails and still NOTHING has been done about it. There was talks of the landlord getting someone to come and ‘fix’ the carpet which I thought was laughable to try and fix what is AT LEAST 16 year old carpet. But tbh, I thought anything is better than the current state.

Is there anything else I can do? I’ve taken more photos today and emailed them across to keep on top of the paper trail to prove we’ve reported it countless times but it’s to absolutely no avail. The estate agents constantly tell us ‘this needs sorting urgently’ and yet NOTHING is ever done.

Is there a reason you can't fix it?
A decent Landlord should change carpets roughly every 8 years or so (industry standard) but until they do is it something you can improve with a hammer and some tacks or nails?

Im trying to learn how to tackle this sort of thing as my son has a broken window in his HMO room. I believe the next step is to first say that he will report the landlord to the environmental health dept at the local council, and then to do it. But I’ve advised my son to make contact with Citizens Advice Bureau for now.

I would tape the carpet down to avoid the tripping hazard.

I wouldn’t mind if the carpet were simply old - the problem is that it’s unsafe. I think I’m more shocked at trying to repair it when it’s already not only so, so damaged, but also so old. I can understand the desire to fix it had they just re carpeted in recent years but that’s obviously not the case.

I would email the letting agency again and remind them that because you have informed them of a potential hazard, they/the landlord will be completely liable for any damage or injuries resulting from an accident due to the carpets. Say that it needs to be resolved ASAP and give them a realistic deadline. Like end of January. Designer carpets (. Co. UK) sells cheap offcuts. Suggesting them might speed it up because it gives the landlord a cheapish way to buy the carpets and then they just need to find a fitter. You could even say that replacing the carpets will be a lot cheaper than compensation for an injury.

Thank you for the suggestions of fixing it ourselves temporarily and I completely understand where you’re all coming from. Unfortunately, tape wouldn’t make this safe. The carpet is fraying right down to the backing, the metal strip is loose, and there are exposed tacks, so taping over it wouldn’t hold or stop it from being a trip hazard. The amount of carpet that’s now come up is roughly about 20cm from the doorway. Since it’s a rental, I also don’t want to risk making things worse or being blamed for a DIY repair. I think back in July I just was really hopeful that they’d get on to it quick, especially when the property manager visited and did our 6 monthly check saying he agreed it was dangerous. We did put a blanket over it to avoid the tacks being exposed but the kids just don’t know how to walk over it without kicking it everywhere, especially the two year old🤦🏻‍♀️

It’s also frustrating because one carpet was particularly bad (in the children’s play room) when we moved in and we replaced this one ourselves and had someone laminate (with the landlords permission of course). I was really hoping this would have helped show how serious we were about living here and staying for a long time.

Its really not that old from what you have said.

I moved out of my rental only a few months ago, I lived their 15 years and the carpet where in before the landlord bought it in 2007 (honestly probably date back well into the 90s). Apart from staining on the one light cream carpet (which lets be obvious would happen over time and doesn't effect use) and a touch of thread bareness on the step edges the carpets where perfectly fine.

People who own their own houses often have carpets well over 16 years old, its not an uncommon thing at all.

We just bought a house (hense moving out of rental) and when we pulled the carpets up their where newspapers from the week the previous owners moved in when they where laid in 1993, they hadn't changed them the whole time living here, staining was the only issue and we are still using some.

I do understand if the landlord didn’t want to replace carpets that are fairly new or still in decent condition, that would make sense. If these carpets were in a great condition I wouldn’t care if they were 10/20/30 years old. What I’m struggling with is that these ones are already very old, frayed, dirty and now unsafe, yet the plan is still to try and ‘fix’ them rather than replace them which is just inevitable.

I’m honestly just shocked they’re trying to salvage carpets in this condition when the edges are unraveling, the tacks are exposed and the metal strips are loose. At that point it feels more reasonable - and imo safer - to replace rather than patch up something so worn out.

Not the best if I’m honest. When we moved in we had a plug socket that had wires exposed and reported it and eventually had to replace it and fix it ourselves. We had another issue a few months ago which was fixed but it again, took a very, very long time and lots of back and forth.