Tenant damaged carpet

taj

Ive been a tenant in this flat for five years and the carpet in the livingroom is starting to look shabby. I need to ask the LL to replace it as it had been down a year earlier and previously used by earlier tenant so has been down six years, but it has a cigarette burn in it (caused by a friend). If I ask him to inspect how shabby it has become through 'age' and he sees the burn he is going to withhold my £500 when I decide to leave whenever that may be,even though I keep the flat in tiptop condition. I could have claimed on my household insurance but didn't at the time (I've never made a claim) I was told you only have so long to make a claim and it happened about three years ago. Can anyone suggest a way around this?

mandi

My sister is an expert at covering ciggy burns..

This is what you do .

Take a knife and scrape some of the pile from the carpet .

Glue the pile into the burn .

taj

Wow thanks what a great idea...the only thing is the burn is black and the carpet is beige but thanks I'll give it a try.

whitewing

Lol, I have a vision of a Mr Bean sketch where he keeps one foot covering the carpet burn as he gets the landlord over to see the room.

mandi

taj wrote: »

Wow thanks what a great idea...the only thing is the burn is black and the carpet is beige but thanks I'll give it a try.

It will work , but if not get a carpet sample & do the same taj .

Good luck with it .:)

Torry_Quine

It can't have been a very good carpet to only last six years and need replaced.

The trick with getting fibres from another area for a burn does work.

chiefgoobster

The landlord should really be considering changing the shabby carpet after 6years....after all it is his property he has money invested in.

...and you should make a wee note to yourself to ask anyone who smokes to go outside.

taj

I have a spare piece of the same carpet that I can loosen some fibres from and I suppose I'd have to shave the dark burnt bit away first so that it isn't so noticeable. I agree six years isn't long but the carpet isn't that thick and it has taken on the shape of the floorboards underneath...so I would be very upset if the full £500 was withheld if I don't try and repair it.

anselld

taj wrote: »

I have a spare piece of the same carpet that I can loosen some fibres from and I suppose I'd have to shave the dark burnt bit away first so that it isn't so noticeable. I agree six years isn't long but the carpet isn't that thick and it has taken on the shape of the floorboards underneath...so I would be very upset if the full £500 was withheld if I don't try and repair it.

At worst the L can only claim for the remaining life lost and for an equivalent quality. So if it is a 10 year life carpet the L can only claim 40% of the cost of a replacement of equivalent quality.

ognum

As a landlord I am afraid I would wait for you to leave before replacing the carpet, why put in a new carpet just to have another fag burn.

It's about mutual respect of property and the flag burn shows a lack of care. How long are you planning on staying in the property.

maybe you could suggest a comprimise since your friend damaged the carpet and make a small payment towards the cost? Why was this not picked up at an inspection visit?

Sparkpea

I don't agree with the above post and I don't think its down to the cigarette burn really the carpet is possibly low quality and has been in for 6 years. I know my LL always put in the cheapest of the cheap and even after a few years the carpets weardown very easily. If you've been a good tennant and paying on time etc I don't see any reason as to why the LL would not replace the carpet. Mine replaced ours with wooden floors throughout downstairs and when my wife fell pregnant and we were decorating a nursery he agreed to pay half the cost of laying a new carpet in the babies room. The carpets had been down for 4 years. At the end of the day whats a new carpet going to cost? £150max laid. For something thats not too expensive? has he carried out many other repairs in the 5 years you've been there? I don't see this as an unreasonable request at all. No harm in asking the question.