tenant 'cleaned' carpet herself. Would you charge for a pro?

Question

I just love when tenants get all hostile when it's time to move out and their security deposit is on the line.

Would you charge for carpet cleaning in this case?

Tenant lived in the house for 4 whole years. I know they all wore shoes inside the house on the carpet.

They were otherwise pretty clean.

Up until 2 days ago, they were still scrambling to move. I told them I had the carpet professionally steam cleaned before they moved in 4 years ago, with the expectation that they would call the professional steam cleaner upon moving out. I showed them the carpet cleaning receipt from 4 years ago.

Today I do the move out inspection, and tenant says she did the carpet cleaning herself. When I asked her what she used, she was stuttering trying to give me an answer. I asked "was it a steam cleaner?" Did you rent a machine?

"what? Steam cleaner?" she answered. She was fumbling.

I see vacuum marks, but I haven't smelled the carpet yet. The carpet doesn't look dirty, but you know you can't see that microscopic gunk and odor in the carpet.

Pro steam clean only costs $110. She spent $650 to do asbestos testing on my house to try to f*** me over, and now she's too cheap to hire a truck mount steam cleaner for $110. Amortized, that's like $25 per year over 4 years.

Lease contract says to return premises to original level of cleanliness upon moving out. Tenants did not trash the place, so that's good. But I could argue the carpets are not the same level of cleanliness.

Because of the asbestos situation, for which I was cleared, I lost close to $3000 from lost rent and hiring an asbestos consultant. I didn't charge them rent for July, even though I could have.

All things considered, would you hire a truck mount carpet cleaner and deduct from security?

Tchaka Owen · Answer

@Mike Franco - what is your reason for not charging July rent? It seems that you're a kind man. You tell us that you spent $3000 due to frivolous reasons and you don't know if you should charge her $110 to professionally clean your carpets. I want you as my landlord.

The good is that for the most part she respected your home. That $3k is a sting too harsh to let slide...if I were you, I'd deliver the following in an upbeat and positive manner, "You took good care of the house, which is wonderful. Other than a charge to professionally clean the carpets, I'm going to return the rest of your security deposit".

Account Closed · Answer

@Mike Franco

Yes. Because my lease states “professionally cleaned” wrt carpets.

Jennifer Rysdam · Answer

If they can't produce a receipt then it wasn't done. You should make them do it or charge them. I don't have my tenants shampoo carpets because I know they'd do a crappy job anyways. I bought my own shampooer and do it myself. Less wear and tear of them doing it and them me redoing it. Plus I worry that the upstairs tenants would use too much or spill water and cause ceiling leaks downstairs.

Lauren Kormylo · Answer

I would not expect a tenant to have the carpet professionally cleaned on moving out.  That's my job as a landlord.  I expect the place to be "broom clean", and I don't trust what kind of job the unknown carpet cleaner will do.  I know you are angry because the tenant cost you money on the asbestos, but I think you should let this go.  If this were different renter who stayed 4 years, paid on time, and left the place in good condition, would you be nitpicking about the carpet like this?

Calvin Howell · Answer

@Mike Franco Hi Mike. I'm still very new and at the learning phase but my approach may be to get the carpet cleaning professional in at your cost do the clean and provide a report and photos of the water before and after. And photos of the carpet before and after. I'm 100 percent sure photos of Clean water turning black or brown is proof enough that the carpet was not cleaned to the level required with general dry vacuum.

I would also if you have access too it look up the suggested maintenance spec of the carpets which I'm sure would include an advised "steam clean" or wet vac of the carpets every x years.

This can then be provided as support on why you have deducted this off the rent.

All of the above of course if with the time and setting the president for future items as this.

Bob Okenwa · Answer

If it's in the lease to have the carpets professionally cleaned, then that would be the expectation upon move out. If they don't provide the receipt, the amount of a pro cleaner should be withheld from the deposit. Pretty straightforward.

Hubert Kim · Answer

Mike,

Sorry about the asbestos situation - sometimes you can't win them all no matter what.

And add another yes vote to charge for the carpet cleaning. I actually suggest doing this if possible for each tenant turnover as a business policy and not giving the tenant the option to do it.

Account Closed · Answer

Any place I have rented that has carpet always specifically stated will be professionally cleaned with receipt. If not then a deduction will and should occur.

I’m a big supporter of I provided you a clean and functional property.  ANYTHING that isn’t as expected is charged for.  I also don’t do work myself because i can’t charge for my time but I can charge them for my property managers or cleaners or painters or handyman’s time.

Typical things I charge for

- professional carpet cleaning (Removed all the carpet so that is no longer an issue for my current properties)

- professional cleaning services

- ovens cleaned out

- vents filters or anything else replaced

- all keys returned (I have and charge a rekeying fee in my lease)

- all outlets tested and charged if they were broken

- 5 year deprecated for paint (4 years equals they would pay for 20% of any painting needed)

- light bulbs (per light bulb not working)

- non reported leaks or holes or issues.

- broken items in the property are also fixed and charged

My rent basis is 700-800 so my security deposits are one months rent. Normally they won’t receive anything but a bill when they move out.  Some people aren’t clean or know how to take care of things.

Lauren Kormylo · Answer

@Mike Franco  I'm in Arizona.  I think if you expect renters to have the carpet cleaned, you should put that wording specifically in the lease.  We all know that a lot of renters are irresponsible, and most don't have a lot of extra money, especially when they're moving.  Spell it out in the lease, or charge a non-refundable cleaning fee upfront, if California allows it.

Mike Bussing · Answer

@Mike Franco

$110 is cheaper than my time to fight

Pay it and get them clean you fixed the contract

Most people want to move into a place knowing the carpets were professional truck mounted cleaned

It’s in all my leases when the give me my 30 day notice I remind them about the professional truck mount and tell them I expect the receipt

tenant 'cleaned' carpet herself. Would you charge for a pro?

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