However you can only charge the depreciated cost of the carpet and there is the rub.
Charge tenant for carpet replacement.
According to california law landlords can only charge tenants for carpet and paint under certain conditions.
Original cost of carpet.
The landlord should properly charge only 200 for the two years worth of life use that would have remained if the tenant had not damaged the carpet.
If the new carpet cost 1 000 and they lived there for one year they owe 800.
A security deposit is intended to be used by the landlord to do repairs on the rental unit that is caused by the tenant himself.
Many landlords charge tenants to pay for carpet replacement for no apparent reason.
If it was new when the resident moved in they pay to replace all of it.
Figure the cost based on a 5 year lifespan for the carpet.
One of the most common and fairest ways to calculate a tenant s responsibility is to charge the tenant for a portion of the total costs of replacing the carpet based off how much the carpet is damaged the carpet s life expectancy and how many years taken off the total life expectancy by the damage.
Yes you certainly can charge the ex tenant reasonable repair replacement costs.
In this case the landlord should split the cost charging the tenant a fair cost for the repair but paying for the rest of the replacement charge.
In disputes over security deposits courts have often considered basic carpet cleaning to be part of normal wear and tear.
The way to do this is to ask for quotes for removing the stain from two or three cleaning firms and charging the tenant the cheapest.
Because carpet cleaning is part of the overall turnover costs that is usually covered by the landlords.
1 000 expected life of carpet.
Using the same example with a life expectancy of nine years and if a replacement carpet of similar quality would cost 2 000 the landlord could properly charge only 222 22 for only one years worth of life use that would have.
Once you learn whether or not you as a long term tenant will pay those costs you can.