Landlord Question and Answer Forum

I am a landlord and I recently had tenants move out. At the time of move in the were a couple of small stains that were not able to be steam cleaned out. Regardless of this the tenants still decided to move in. They stayed for a year and a half. During thier tenancy they caused more extensive damage to the carpet. There was wax melted into the carpet so that particular area was ruined. A few other large stains were noted. In addition they left the apartment very dirty. How much of the security deposit would you give back. The carpet/no pad cost me $700.00. I charged them $220 for the portion of the carpet they damaged. Is this fair of me. How would you prorate this? My tenants are angry with me but we were able to come to a resolution. They wanted $100 more dollars back from their security deposit. So I asked if we can split the $100 in half for a refund of $50. They agreed but werent happy about it. Just wondering what I can do better next time??

How old was the carpet?

Posted by Bob R, CA on Friday, September 7, 2012

5 yrs old

Posted by mikala d, NC on Friday, September 7, 2012

You can depreciate carpets over 5 yrs….. The best you can do in this case is charge them for repair, which is usually difficult to estimate. You would need to have a professional give you an estimate of repair….. If you had to replace the carpet, you would charge them a % bases on the 5 yr life. In your case, you can’t charge them for replacement due to its age. -----Disclaimer: Since I’ve been answering a lot of questions, I thought I would make the following statement. I’m not affiliated with EZlandlord Forms. I’m just here (not sure how long) to help those that have questions. Having 40+ yrs with Rental Property and done well, it’s my way of “Pay it Forward (check out the movie).” However, it is up to you to become familiar with your State/Local laws. I always like to know if the suggestions I offer are helpful. Feel free to comment anytime. Thanks in Advance.

Posted by Bob R, CA on Friday, September 7, 2012

thanks

Posted by mikala d, NC on Friday, September 7, 2012

I thought carpet had a 7 year depreciation. So at a cost of $700 then $500 of that was depreciated which left the carpet's value at $200. So charging them $220 would have been unfair.

Posted by Dawn A, WI on Friday, September 7, 2012

Sorry to disappoint. It's 5 yrs per IRS

Posted by Bob R, CA on Friday, September 7, 2012