[egoldsmith]

My landlord seems to think he can take money out of my security deposit for a carpet cleaning. The carpet isn't new from when we first moved in, and wouldn't he have to do it anyway? Should I be held responsible for that? What is covered under security deposit? We are in the process of moving out. We told them this past Sat and they told us that they will be taking out money to clean the carpet. We have only been there for 6 months, and they carpet was very old and already had stains on it. They claimed they had it cleaned when we moved in. We had it cleaned again, but they carpet stayed the same. Can't we do it ourselves? We have a steam cleaner.

On a second question, same topic, my landlord is selling the house we are moving out of, but months back, someone took pictures of my bedroom and posted them online to try and sell the house with the relator. WITH OUT MY PERMISSION! Can they do that?


Please help!

[excon]

Hello goldsmith:

You're not clear. If you haven't moved out yet, it doesn't become an issue until he actually takes it out. Apparently, he's just talking about it now.

Under ordinary circumstances, you are responsible for any damage that is beyond normal wear and tear. In terms of the carpet, that would be thus: If the carpet has a 10 year life, and it had 2 years of wear when you moved in, and you stayed 2 years, the carpet would have 6 years of wear left when you move. If the carpet was worn out when you moved, you would be responsible to pay 60% of the cost of the ORIGINAL carpet - not the cost of replacement.

All normal wear and tear is based upon that same formula.

No, they needed your permission. But that water passed under the bridge a long time ago.

excon

PS> (edited) I just saw where you talked about CLEANING the carpet, not replacing it. You are responsible for leaving the premises in the same condition it was when you moved in. If the carpet was freshly shampooed, then you would be responsible for leaving it that way. If the landlord wants to undertake the actual labor, so what? You're going to pay for it anyway - unless he's charging way more than you could rent a machine for yourself.

[s_cianci]

Did the carpet undergo any damage other than normal wear and tear during the time you occupied the house? If not, then I'd suggest suing the landlord in small claims court for the refund of your deposit. As far as the pictures of your bedroom, since it is only a picture and not someone actually coming in, I believe that the landlord can legally post the pictures online in the interest of selling the property.