Carpet permanent Stains

[Guka Kagu]

My tenants just moved out. I conducted an inspection of the property and found multiple big colorful stains on the carpet. It appears they tried to remove the stains, but they are still visible. I contacted a professional cleaning company, and they said I will have to remove the entire carpet since they are permanent. Should I deduct the cost from their security deposit or is it considered normal wear and tear?

[Theresa Harris]

It shouldn't be normal wear and tear, however, you can't charge them the full amount to replace them.  Everything has a lifespan and if the lifespan for carpet is 10 years (look it up as I made up that number), and it is 6 years old, you can only charge them 40% (ie for the remaining lifespan).  Sometimes, they can pull a piece of carpet from another area (eg closet) and patch it, but it can be hard to get an exact match as the colour will fade differently depending on where the carpet is.

[Nathan Gesner]

Quote from @Guka Kagu:

My tenants just moved out. I conducted an inspection of the property and found multiple big colorful stains on the carpet. It appears they tried to remove the stains, but they are still visible. I contacted a professional cleaning company, and they said I will have to remove the entire carpet since they are permanent. Should I deduct the cost from their security deposit or is it considered normal wear and tear?

I agree with Theresa. Stains are not "ordinary" and should be charged. Since they can't be cleaned, you will need to replace the carpet. You charge the tenant a depreciated value based on the remaining life span of the carpet you are replacing. If it cost you $5000 to install, use that as your starting point. Determine the life span of the flooring and how old it is. If life span is ten years and you have five years remaining, charge the tenant $2,500 and apply that towards the cost of replacement.

[Tim Baldwin]

In Florida, permanent stains on carpet is not considered normal wear and tear. When you charge the tenant for damages, be aware of and be sure to deduct the depreciation value of the carpet. Also, in general, your labor costs are limited to the area of the carpet that is damaged. It's a legal issue determined by your state's laws, so you may want to consult with a landlord-tenant attorney to get a good understanding of that before you make a claim on the deposit. Best wishes. 

[Julie Hartman]

We have had good luck with getting carpet stains remedied with companies who specialize in carpet dyeing. We just went through it with a property that had multiple large red stains. The carpet dyeing was a success for our situation, was reasonably priced, and saved the carpet. It depends on the type of stain but it may be worth getting an estimate to see if it could work in your situation. 

[Mackaylee Beach]

Make sure to charge fees, but calculate them accurately and adhere to your state regulations.

[Mose Gebremeskel]

Agree with others on here. Make sure you know the lifespan of that carpet and charge them for the remaining lifespan according to the cost of the replacement.