The property rental industry is regulated by laws and stipulations that should not be neglected under any cost. Are you thinking of renting an apartment but not aware of the basic apartment carpet cleaning laws? Stay around to learn the basic laws that will determine whether you are responsible for cleaning your carpets or your landlord is.
The laws should be observed by tenants and landlords alike. When talking of expert deep carpet cleaning, there are laws stipulated under the tenancy tribunal act that work to protect tenants from landlord’s exploitation. There are as well laws that protect landlords from having to pay excessively for the mistakes of their tenants.
Routine Carpet Cleaning At the End of Rental Tenancy Is the Tenant’s Duty
As per the state laws and regulations, the routine carpet cleaning isn’t the landlord’s responsibility. It’s the duty of the tenant to clean the carpet after the rental tenancy period is over. While the landlord has the responsibility of ensuring they keep the carpets under a reasonable state of repair, it’s not their job to clean the carpets at the end of the tenancy.
And as a tenant, it’s required of you under the state laws to deep-clean and vacuum the carpets before you move out. That’s one of the primary apartment carpet cleaning laws that every tenant should religiously observe.
It’s the Tenant’s Responsibility to Pay for Professional Carpet Cleaning Owing to Negligence and Improper Use
Under the tenancy tribunal act, it’s the tenant’s responsibility to hire and pay a professional carpet cleaner at the end of the tenancy if they have intentionally misused the carpets. If a tenant improperly uses or neglects the cleanliness of the carpets, it will be their responsibility to pay for it to be cleaned or replaced at the end of the tenancy.
In other words, since it’s not the statutorily-imposed duty of landlords, a landlord can assign the responsibility to a tenant via contractual provision.
That means although the landlords don’t have the right to withhold tenant’s deposit money to pay for professional cleaning of carpets, they can legally hold tenants accountable for carpet damages and dirt caused by negligence and mishandling.
Landlords Are Legally Required to Replace Carpets After Several Years
It’s the responsibility of the tenants to change the carpets in rental apartments at least once in every seven years. According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, landlords should be replacing the carpets in their rental homes every seven years.
That’s among the stringent apartment carpet cleaning laws that landlords should observe without fail.
Even for apartments that are installed with modern-day high-end carpets, they should be replaced regularly. These carpets are proven to be strong and durable, but they start losing their colour and texture after four to five years of use. The fibers will start losing their strength, leading to matted-down patches.
Before you move into an apartment, consult with the landlord to know how long the carpets they have in place have lasted. If they have lasted for more than five years, you should get the landlord to replace them, otherwise don’t rent the apartment.
That’s because, after five years of use, carpets are highly prone to damage, which means by the time you are moving out, the carpet would have wasted away. The scrupulous landlords may force you to replace the carpets.
Landlords Are Prohibited from Withholding Tenant’s Deposit to Pay For Normal Wear and Tear
The permissibility of provisions that require tenants to clean and arrange for professional carpet cleaning at the end of tenancy doesn’t give landlords the authority to deduct the costs of professional carpet cleaning from the tenant’s security deposit.
In other words, even if the tenants don’t comply with the provided provisions under the tenancy agreement, the landlord has no legal authority to deduct it from the security deposit if the damages or losses caused aren’t applicable under the relevant law.
That doesn’t mean the landlord cannot deduct your security deposit to pay for damages beyond the stipulated standard wear and tear. So, tenants will be held accountable for the costs of cleaning or replacing the carpets soiled or damaged beyond the standard wear and tear and not the ones within the regular wear and tear.
Tenants Have Legal Responsibility To Leave The Carpets As Clean As They Found Them
When you book and rent an apartment, you have the legal obligation to make sure the carpets are in the right condition. And before you leave, you should as well make sure the carpets are in the same or better condition than you found them. So, in between the tenancy period, you have to take good care of the carpets, ensuring you clean them regularly.
Not cleaning the carpets regularly in between the tenancy period is one way of mishandling them, which can increase the odds of you being forced to release some of your security deposit to cater for the repairs and replacement of the damaged carpets. Before you leave, clean the carpets extensively, ensuring you give them a fresh look and smell.
Landlords Should Not Enforce Illegal Laws To Force Tenants to Pay for Carpet Cleaning
Some landlords are fond of enforcing illegal laws to instill fear to their tenants so they can pay for costs they shouldn’t. For instance, some landlords will force their tenants to pay for the standard carpet cleaning when they are moving out.
That’s against the apartment carpet cleaning laws, and tenants should always stand against them. When signing up the tenancy lease agreement, you’ve to ensure you understand the stipulated apartment carpet cleaning laws, so your landlord doesn’t take advantage of you.
Conclusion
These are the fundamental apartment carpet cleaning laws you should know and observe. As a tenant, you should understand your obligations and rights to avoid making mistakes or being taken for a ride by unscrupulous landlords.
As a landlord, you should understand your obligations and rights to maximise the profitability of your rental profits and avoid exposing tenants to unconstitutional laws.
Once landlords and tenants understand their obligations, the tenancy exploitation cases presented in court every year will reduce tremendously.
