I have stained my landlord's carpet - do I have to pay for a replacement?

Question

Our baby knocked over a glass of red juice onto the carpet in our rented property. We have tried to remove the stain but have been unsuccessful. Our landlord has suggested we use a professional cleaning firm, so I have someone coming out this afternoon but am pretty sure from the conversation I had with them that they will be unable to remove the stain. The carpet was old when we moved in and not in perfect condition. It has bumps in it and a small square of carpet had already been cut out and removed. It is a very large carpet as the room downstairs is a through lounge/dining area and I simply cannot afford to replace that amount of carpet. Am I liable for a full replacement or only for the section of carpet which is stained? As far as I am aware, my landlord does not have insurance and neither do we. Thanks

Answer 1

I think you and your landlord should agree on a set price for a small portion of the replacement of the whole carpet. Because it is old anyway, it needs to be replaced at his expense, not yours.

You can't just be liable for the section of carpet which is stained because you actually ruined all the carpet with this spill, even though there is a small square cut out and removed.

For example if the entire new carpet will cost $600, you should pay about $100. It needs to be replaced anyway.

That's just my opinion on the matter.

Answer 2

My guess would be that you won't have to worry about it until you move out.

When you do move out, the landlord will use some of your deposit to have the stain removed. He is unlikely to charge you for the replacement of the entire carpet.

I'm surprised that the professionals you spoke to didn't think they could help - it's only a juice stain. Try another firm to see if they can remove the stain.

PS Here's a tip in case it happens again. Pour lots of salt on the stain. Over the course of several days it will soak up the liquid. (This doesn't completely remove the stain, but it makes it a lot better - this works with red wine)

Answer 3

It would depend on your contract with your landlord but more than likely you are liable.. I do have a suggestion on how to clean the carpet if the professional does not remove the stain..

Tools & Chemicals:
Dish washing or fine fabric detergent, white terry towels, white vinegar, warm water, measuring cup, spoon, vacuum.

Technique:

Work on removing the stain as soon as you notice it. The longer the stain is left on the carpet the greater the chances are of the stain setting.



In every case remove all excess wet or dry material before attempting to clean. Blot wet materials using a white terry towel (check helpful hints for a detailed description of blotting). Vacuum excess dry materials or gently scrape up materials with a spoon.


Mix 1/2 tsp. of dish washing soap or fine fabric detergent into 1 (8 oz.)cup of warm water.


Apply a small amount, blot or tamp and repeat until the stain is removed. Be patient. Complete removal may reqiure repeating the same step several times. Tamp down on the carpet, do not scrub as this may distort the texture of the pile.


Cover the stain with the towel and press down repeatedly to absorb the stain material and detergent.


Once the stain is completely removed, rinse the area with cold water; blot with a dry white terry towel until all moisture is removed. Repeat this process several times to remove cleaning solution residue. (Residue can attract soils).



If the spot or stain turns brownish when dry, mix 1 part white vinegar and two parts water. Apply a small amount and blot. Repeat only once.



Precautions:
Never use a stronger concentration than is recommended. Never laundry detergent or automatic dish washing detergents because they may destroy or dye some fibers.




Let me know if it works like you need it to.. Good luck..

Answer 4

that depends entirely on your rental agreement if it covers this. if not, our home free. if it does, you can kiss your deposit goodbye. you may try to get a second or even a third opinion from carpet cleaners (not the professional ones, they try to avoid the hard stuff, really). also, that depends on the juice that got spiled. make sure you let the cleaners what it was so they'd know the right chemicals or process to remove the stain. i used to be with a large laundry company and we can remove almost every known type of stain including raspberry juice.

i would caution you doing this on your own as you may very well damage the carpet further or successfully remove the stain but leave a glaring uneveness to the color.

Answer 5

Well dear, I'm sorry but, this carpet belongs to the landlord. If you've paid a deposit then it's gone, plus.
You can talk to the man, if the carpet is old, like you say and has been used, like you say. Maybe you can make a deal with the man, and see if he's willing to deal. Like ask him if you can pay a certain amount on a new carpet, either when you leave or now.

My agent was very thoughtful of all our tenants and did what he could for them. I saw him make deals I would go for. He was an angle to the tenants.

Answer 6

professional carpet cleaners should be able to get that stain out. I would be surprised if they can't. If the carpet is old and worn you do not have to pay to replace the whole thing. A small amount of money to cover wear and tear should suffice.
( I never rent a property with carpet for this reason ; vinyl and tiles only )

Answer 7

i no for a fact your liable for the carpet but a cleaner should be able to get it out if not there is a preen carpet cleaner that get rid of most things it kind of dyes the carpet so if you put enough on it looks good but there are alot of things these days that do get it out go have a look in the carpet places for something or the supermarket if not well try to get rid of it as much as you can and they should let you off

Answer 8

That's what a deposit is for. Just don't plan on getting it back if the stain cannot be removed.

Answer 9

If you paid a security deposit when moving in the most he can do is not return that to you. It wasn't a malicious act and unless stated directly in the rental agreement there is not much more than he can do.

Answer 10

it's not mandatory to pay him but if u want can pay. the best solution may be that your land lord can give up the demand