A burned carpet and lease extension

[Manoj N.]

My tenant just informed that he accidentally burned holes on the carpet. Apparently this happened a month ago and he was afraid to tell me. His lease is expiring next month, and we were negotiating for an extension. He wants to live with the damaged carpet for another year and the cost be deducted from deposit at the end of the next term.  I want to get this repaired ASAP (by a professional and paid for by the tenant) if he wants another term. Am I being reasonable in asking for this ? 

[JD Martin]

One other note: I thought you sounded familiar and after looking realized you were the guy in this post: https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/52/topics/248...

Take this for what it cost, but you are going to have a rough haul of it long-term as a landlord if you let overblown fears/concerns about property color your interaction with tenants/potential tenants. People are human, and even those of the best intentions end up with broken refrigerator handles or hot oil from a pan on the floor. Trying to recover every single dollar you feel you are owed because someone damaged, or naturally wore, away your property will eventually get you a parade of tenants and a lot of unhappiness.  I am not saying you should allow tenants to willfully destroy property, but if you think 8-year old carpeting is worth $1000 (unless the guy burned through the subfloor, this is probably a couple hundred dollar repair, tops, swapped from a closet or some other inconspicuous place) and had to consult whether to replace a refrigerator handle (with a warning), I would recommend a little more perspective. Tenants don't live in houses the way you might live in a house; one of the things you get paid for is the wear and tear people do on your property (assuming you've factored that into your rent); trying to collect extra funds on top of this is going to make your life harder than you will want it to be.

I say this here not to embarrass you or as an a-hole, though it's OK if you think of it (or me) that way - it is meant to be cautionary to future people who might read these posts. Look past the trees and see the forest. Most landlords see their goal as having fully-occupied units, rented at market or above rates, with long-term tenants that fulfill their responsibilities, not uber-concern with old carpeting or cheap appliance fixes. You rent properties to make money, not to admire the floor covering.