Ex Landlord trying to make me pay for replacement carpets

joehfax

Hi, thanks for reading

We (me, girlfriend and our daughter) have just moved into our own home after 7 and a half years of renting a house. I have just received a letter this morning from the letting agent saying the owner is wanting to stop £380 of our £650 bond we paid when we moved in. This is for "replacement of carpets which you took up but have not replaced, which we advised in numerous letters this must be done prior to you vacating"

We took up the carpets a couple of years ago be cause they we beyond repair, we had carpet cleaned them but they were so thin and unsightly, we asked if the landlord would supply new ones but nothing got done so me being stubborn left us without any.

When we moved in the carpets were already tired I will quote the inventory/conditions of the carpets
"Stairs - carpet worn in places, hole on 5th step"
"Bedroom 1 - carpet marked"
"Bedroom 2 - run in carpet"
"Bedroom 3 - carpets marked (fitted in 2 pieces)

I have looked around and the word betterment comes up but I can't find any documents I can print off to send to the estate agent that clearly states I am not liable to pay for new carpet.

Can anyone point me in the right direction.

Am I being unreasonable by saying I am not paying a penny?

Thanks

need_an_answer

Possibly in saying you wont pay a penny you are being unreasonable, but paying some might be what you need to do.


You don't make it clear in your post whether the £300 plus figure is to replace all the mentioned carpets,that could be a reasonable figure considering that you have also removed some carpet completely.

£380 isn't the full replacement of that amount of carpet. 3 bedrooms and stairs would cost significantly more to replace with new so I would imagine that betterment is not technically being sought as you are clearly not being charged for the whole area recarpeted newly

You perhaps with hindsight should have had this confirmed in writing as acceptable at the time. once the carpet is destroyed so too im afraid is some of your evidence.

Your best option is to challenge via the deposit service,they will adjudicate.

Present your case and hope that the verdict is at least in some way better for you than £300

Pixie5740

joehfax wrote: »

Hi, thanks for reading

We (me, girlfriend and our daughter) have just moved into our own home after 7 and a half years of renting a house. I have just received a letter this morning from the letting agent saying the owner is wanting to stop £380 of our £650 bond we paid when we moved in. This is for "replacement of carpets which you took up but have not replaced, which we advised in numerous letters this must be done prior to you vacating"

We took up the carpets a couple of years ago be cause they we beyond repair, we had carpet cleaned them but they were so thin and unsightly, we asked if the landlord would supply new ones but nothing got done so me being stubborn left us without any.

When we moved in the carpets were already tired I will quote the inventory/conditions of the carpets
"Stairs - carpet worn in places, hole on 5th step"
"Bedroom 1 - carpet marked"
"Bedroom 2 - run in carpet"
"Bedroom 3 - carpets marked (fitted in 2 pieces)

I have looked around and the word betterment comes up but I can't find any documents I can print off to send to the estate agent that clearly states I am not liable to pay for new carpet.

Can anyone point me in the right direction.

Am I being unreasonable by saying I am not paying a penny?

Thanks

Read G_M's Deposits: payment, protection and return.

pmlindyloo

joehfax wrote: »

Hi, thanks for reading

We (me, girlfriend and our daughter) have just moved into our own home after 7 and a half years of renting a house. I have just received a letter this morning from the letting agent saying the owner is wanting to stop £380 of our £650 bond we paid when we moved in. This is for "replacement of carpets which you took up but have not replaced, which we advised in numerous letters this must be done prior to you vacating"

We took up the carpets a couple of years ago be cause they we beyond repair, we had carpet cleaned them but they were so thin and unsightly, we asked if the landlord would supply new ones but nothing got done so me being stubborn left us without any.

When we moved in the carpets were already tired I will quote the inventory/conditions of the carpets
"Stairs - carpet worn in places, hole on 5th step"
"Bedroom 1 - carpet marked"
"Bedroom 2 - run in carpet"
"Bedroom 3 - carpets marked (fitted in 2 pieces)

I have looked around and the word betterment comes up but I can't find any documents I can print off to send to the estate agent that clearly states I am not liable to pay for new carpet.

Can anyone point me in the right direction.

Am I being unreasonable by saying I am not paying a penny?

Thanks

Did you take up 3 bedroom carpets and the stairs carpet? If this is the case then you should have, in theory, kept them and put them back down. (sounds ridiculous I know!)

The amount of money quoted does not seem to be the cost for brand new carpets so they do appear to have deducted for wear and tear.

First step is to ask how they have calculated the amount being deducted.

Next step is to negotiate the amount. You might want to give reasons why they were taken up. Had they become a safety issue? Did you tell them you were removing them?

To be honest it will be difficult for anyone to know the value of the original carpets as we didn't see them. It does sound from the inventory that they were pretty well worn when you took up your tenancy. Are there any pictures?

In the event of a stale mate then you would have to go to arbitration with your deposit protection scheme. Have you instigated the start of this yet?

joehfax

Sorry to add to my post, the price is for 100% of the carpets, we left the carpet down in my daughter's bedroom, so they are charging for 2 bedrooms plus stairs.
My girlfriend might have pictures on her phone of the carpets before we took them up.

Thanks

marliepanda

tatty condition noted on the check in inventory, plus 7.5years wear and tear?

Take it to arbitration. he wont win.

Paparika

joehfax wrote: »

Sorry to add to my post, the price is for 100% of the carpets, we left the carpet down in my daughter's bedroom, so they are charging for 2 bedrooms plus stairs.
My girlfriend might have pictures on her phone of the carpets before we took them up.

Thanks

Doesn't matter. They were not yours to throw away, so you never got an answer.. too bad, you have to give back what you took up, unfortunately you can't, you chucked your evidence of worn carpet away.

need_an_answer

joehfax wrote: »

Sorry to add to my post, the price is for 100% of the carpets, we left the carpet down in my daughter's bedroom, so they are charging for 2 bedrooms plus stairs.
My girlfriend might have pictures on her phone of the carpets before we took them up.

Thanks

I would imagine the total replacement of 2 bedroom carpets and the stairs to cost more than £380 so there appears to be an allowance being made for wear and tear.

I have not needed to carpet within the last 3 years and I admit to not knowing the prices but if they can get it supplied and fitted for that price then perhaps your LL would pass me the details of who they are using....that's a damn good price!

teddysmum

You could easily recarpet for the amount stated, as separate rooms could use offcuts, which are a fraction of the cost of carpet from a roll and 'bedroom quality', ie low quality, carpet is cheap,anyway.

ThePants999

Definitely dispute this via the protection scheme.

What the landlord has lost through your actions, and hence you are liable for, is the remaining value left in the old carpets. If he'd just put in brand you carpets before you moved out, and you took them up or ruined them, you'd be liable for the entire cost of replacing them. If the old carpets were already worn when you moved in, and 7.5 years have passed since then, their remaining value is effectively zero and you're not liable for a penny.

need_an_answer

teddysmum wrote: »

You could easily recarpet for the amount stated, as separate rooms could use offcuts, which are a fraction of the cost of carpet from a roll and 'bedroom quality', ie low quality, carpet is cheap,anyway.

Clearly I'm not a "bedroom quality" LL!

fitting the carpet in the area I live would be almost that amount especially if you are intending to use off cuts for the stairs rather than a continual piece on the stairs

but hey ho upwards and onwards.