Would I need to replace the carpet?

[Dana R.]

In my rental, patches of my carpet are clearly worn while most of the rest carpet is still okay. If it was vacant, I'd probably need to replace the whole carpet.

But, if somebody came in now and saw it with the current tenant living there, they probably wouldn't notice a thing with the tenant's furniture and rugs covering up those patches.

Let's say a prospective tenant checks the place while the current tenant is still living there, doesn't see any problems with the carpet and likes it enough to sign a lease.

What happens when the new tenant moves when its vacant and notices the problems with the carpet? Would I have to replace the carpet at that point?

Under this scenario, it seems like it would be better to reduce my asking price for the rental while its still occupied so I can rent it out before it becomes vacant so I wouldn't need to pay to replace the carpet.

Are there any situations or conditions where a landlord should replace the carpet when the tenant is already living there?