In California Can Landlord Charge Tenant Carpet Cleaning

If the carpet cleaning does not exceed a professional cleaner s normal rate and the carpet doesn t have any actual damage landlords should not charge a tenant for dirty carpets.

In california can landlord charge tenant carpet cleaning.

If a landlord can dictate the method of cleaning the carpet then they can dictate the manner that any other part of or the whole premises is cleaned. In california for example the landlord must provide receipts for any repairs or cleaning over 126. In other words landlords bear the cost of the routine carpet cleaning when a tenant moves out. Any carpet cleaning charges they collect in advance must be treated as part of a security deposit which must be subject to a refund.

Thus if the tenant s damage cheated three years out of the carpets life the landlord under california law could only hold the tenant responsible for 300. If the carpet originally cost 1 000 and had a life expectancy of 10 years the depreciation charge would be 100 per year. This action allowed by security deposit laws is generally called a wrongful withholding of security deposit or a wrongful retention of security deposit lawsuit. Typically landlords may use a tenant s security deposit for any cleaning or repairs necessary to restore the rental unit to its condition at the beginning of the tenancy landlords may not however use the deposit to cover the costs of ordinary wear and tear.

And the longer a tenant has lived in a place the more wear and tear can be expected. Once you learn whether or not you as a long term tenant will pay those costs you.