Should landlord replace carpet after previous tentant dies?

Question

The woman who lived upstairs from me, died in the apartment unexpectedly, and was found 2 days after she died, I was there when they found her and it has been traumatizing, since over the course of her living there we became friends, she was in the process of moving out, and I am suppose to be moving into her apartment June 1st. Since she was there for 2 days, I had asked the landlord to replace the carpet, (carpet is already 15+ years old) she told me that replacing the carpet wasn't necessary since bodily fluids didn't get on the carpet and would just shampoo it. That doesn't exactly make me feel comfortable, also moving into the apartment doesn't make me feel warm and fuzzy either. I feel like something in the apartment needs to change. Someone died in there, the door was kicked down, the frame is broken, but the door still locks so it's okay my landlord says. I'm so bothered by this that I want to stay in the apartment that I am in now, but my landlord is telling me that, that's not really possible since she was going to take the two downstairs apartment, gut them and make it one big apartment for one of her workers and his family. So now I'm out of a home I feel like, I have less than 3 weeks in my current apartment, I won't be able to find something in my price range in that amount of time nor do I want to move into an apartment where a woman died less then 2 weeks ago, they won't paint it, clean it nothing, they will shampoo the carpets that's it. It's not fair. I have lived there for 2 years.

Linda Hastings · Answer

If it was one of my rentals, I would replace the carpet even if someone hadn't died in there since the carpet is 15+ years old. I'm not sure how fast a body decomposes, but I do know that once it does, you would want to replace the padding as well as the carpet. Shampooing may help the carpet, but likely wouldn't take any smell out of the padding.

Thomas S. · Answer

It's the landlord/owners choice. If she does not see the need to replace the carpet, which may be in excellent condition due to the previous tenant, then she does not need to explain that or justify it to anyone. It is your choice as to whether you wish to live there under the conditions she is offering. What you want is irrelevant if she is not willing to do it. Your emotional issues are not here problem unless she wishes to address them.

You will need to decide to live there or bite the bullet and move. It is entirely your choice and not the landlords obligation to satisfy your personal issues.

The death of the previous tenant is irrelevant if there was no damage to the unit. If she did not die on the carpet or did not leave a stain then it is irrelevant.

Your emotions are at issue not the state of the apartment.

Rob D. · Answer

15 year old carpet should be replaced regardless if a person died on it. But the fact a person died and was there for days I would replace it if it was new,  at least in that room.

Logan Bartlett · Answer

@Nicole W.

Honestly rent can't get any cheaper than this place, it's the nicest place for the price, it's out on a horse farm, super quiet setting, with horses and woods. They are finally putting air conditioners in the two upstairs apartments, and are gutting the two downstairs and making it one big apartment, putting new carpet isn't one of their priorities and they are cheap, so I contacted my landlord and asked if I could replace the carpet, I took the measurements of the apartment and roughly it could cost anywhere from $350-500.

Knowing her, she will take some money off of my rent, it's just frustrating as hell that me as the tentant has to go ahead and replace the carpets.

Nicole A. · Answer

So, when a person dies, their bowels and bladder empty. I suppose that's not considered bodily fluids? Anyway, 15 year old carpet that isn't replaced after a 2-day-old body was on it in a rental kinda tells me what kind of landlord you have.

Are you sure you can't find something else in your price range within 3 weeks? Have you looked on Craigslist? If you don't have a lot of things/need a lot of space, you could even look to see if anyone in the area rents our their basement.

Deanna McCormick · Answer

not a win win,,, just plain go shopping for new rental if you can't work it out. City code inspection for the door it should properly close and lock and be secure, as far as carpet, cleaned is clean, so old is old but if no rips or tears or bald spots landlord can keep it.

Gail K. · Answer

"she told me that replacing the carpet wasn't necessary since bodily fluids didn't get on the carpet"

The former tenant died in the apartment.  There's nothing posted that said she died and lay on the floor for two days.   If there's no bodily fluid in the carpet there's no health or safety reason to replace it.

I've got carpet in my own house older than this.

Gail

Should landlord replace carpet after previous tentant dies?

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