Do Landlords Have To Clean Carpets Between Tenants

A stain in the carpet or generally dirty carpets do not make a rental unit uninhabitable obviously.

Do landlords have to clean carpets between tenants.

But it is customary and expected that it be cleaned and in good condition for every new tenant moving in. No state law requires landlords to repaint a rental unit in between tenants. Essentially a landlord would have to sue a tenant as a separate matter if they did not pay for routine carpet cleaning required by the lease. Therefore the rules surrounding whether a landlord has to clean a carpet can seem hazy.

There is now law that specifically says a landlord has to clean the carpet but they do have to keep it in good and sanitary condition. In most cases landlords should not charge tenants for a standard carpet cleaning. End of tenancy cleaning is important for receiving your full deposit more than half of deposit disputes 56 are lead for insufficient or have cleaning as part of a more complex dispute. In disputes over security deposits courts have often considered basic carpet cleaning to be part of normal wear and tear.

Valin adds that in pet friendly communities landlords may expect tenants to be more accommodating if there are minor stains in the carpet. For example new york city requires most landlords to repaint their rental units every three years. Tenants can do their own end of tenancy cleaning. Landlords often deduct the cost of damages to the rental property from the security deposit then refund the remainder to the tenant.

However carpets should always be professionally cleaned. Some local city or county ordinances might require landlords to repaint under certain circumstances. Cosmetic repairs are usually not legally required. But in some cases such as issues with mold or health risks landlords may have to make such repairs.

Often the landlord will ask that you return the inventory within 7 days and report any cleaning issues within 48 hours and it is important that you stick to any timescales given. A landlord cannot deduct the cost of repainting or replacing. The laws changed in 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 and 2018. While taking photographs is a good idea it is difficult to establish cleanliness from a photograph so while they can be great supporting evidence in some cases for example the inside of an oven the written description is key.

The landlord cannot force them to use any cleaning company or a cleaning service at all.