Help to clean carpet in new flat

TENNYSON.SARAH

1-- i ACTUALLY HAVEN'T MOVED IN, BUT ALL IS SIGNED.
2-- My landlord seems like the kindest of man; but here is the issue.
I had a 2 mn tour of the flat by the agent and decided to take it. Everything got signed and paid.
Last Sunday I went to drop some boxes and take measurements and was quickly taken ill. I am seriously asthmatic -- to the point of ending up at the ER several times a year -- and crippled with allergies.
The carpet looked clean, but the former tenant had 4 cats. I had not opened a cabinet and an awful smell of urine took me over. Eventually two people who saw me waving carried me outside and I am still weak after a passage to the ER..
My landlord wants to change the carpet. He has already put a new oven. I looked over the Internet but don't know about how good these ''recipes'' are'. Ideally I like parquet floor, but it seems thick carpets have invaded all the Victorian buildings of the Isle of Wight.
]Does anybody know of a good method to get rid basically of the dead skin of the cats and leftovers of urine/feces not visible in general but are the triggers for asthma and allergies?[/
I like my new landlord and I see he really cares for his property, but he is not a cash machine and I wish I could come up with a solution less costly than removing all the carpet. At the same time I spent part of last year walking around with an oxigen bottle and a mask and don't want to live like that AGAIN. I didn't know about the cats.
Thank you for coming up with financially reasonable fees for my landlord that would make my life easy... well livable at a small cost to his wallet and my health.

AnotherJoe

I would suggest if you are that allergic you choose a different flat

[Deleted User]

With severe allergies, there is no guarantee the carpet replacement will get rid of all allergens. You could ask for a deep clean of the property (including walls), but that could introduce allergens in itself. Replacing carpets and deep cleaning won't get rid of cat fleas. You could buy a good quality mask (I have one), hoover the place very thoroughly, flea bomb it, scrub it (with gloves on) but this carries some risks as well. I'm afraid while some cleaning services are very good (if the LL offers to do it for you), there is no guarantee they will be.

I have developed quite a nasty way of reacting to unknown allergens (although I think I know what's causing it). Its not normally as serious for me, I notice the signs, take an antihistamine tablet and it usually goes after half an hour or so. Sometimes I have to take 2 on top of what has been prescribed. It has affected me a lot generally, but only had to call for an ambulance a couple of times.

But it sounds like you are affected in a more serious way.

Don't move in. Even if this costs you money, its not worth risking your health. If I had had any choice, I wouldn't have moved into this property as I've never had allergy problems to this extent before. I do sympathise as even with the milder allergy problems I have, I know how its affected me.

In your situation, before taking a property, I'd insist on a much more thorough viewing. Look for signs of pets (hairs/odour/scratch marks/dirt/dust) If the smell was that strong, it should have been noticeable even in two minutes. I am not criticising, just trying to suggest how this could be avoided in future.