My mother recently passed away. I had prepaid her rent for a full year. The bedroom had several stains on it and I recognize the carpet needed to be replaced, and I'm OK with paying for it. The bedroom is around 200 square feet in Connecticut. The landlord took the opportunity to replace the carpet with hardwood. He told me the carpet would have cost $600 installed but he paid extra for the hardwood out of his own pocket. The carpet that was there previously was the cheapest contractor grade material you can imagine. I have a hard time believing it cost $600 at $3 a square foot for cheap carpet installed. Should I be pressing this? I figured it would be $300 - $400, max, for similar off-white basic carpet.
Is there hardwood flooring underneath the carpet? If so, it would be refinishing job which can be between $1.50-2 sq foot. Otherwise, if it is an installation job, you're looking at about $3 sq foot plus materials
The law allows for normal wear of carpets. If the carpets were ruined then you are responsible for replacing them. You can ask the landlord for a copy of the estimate to replace the carpets but I am guessing $600 is reasonable for material and labor for 200 square feet.
Offer 350 and tell him to sue you for the rest. Tell him you aren't paying for the best carpet when he didn't even install it.
What does your lease say about late fees? Is the $150 for several times you were late or just one time? Look up your state landlord-tentn law and see if that is legal. You should get things clear before you move in. If you are renting a house I would think you have to put your own trash out.
Unless that carpet was near new you would not be responsible for replacement cost. Here's how carpet replacement liability works: Carpet that has been damaged by the tenant due to negligence is pro-rated. Pro-rating is based on the following: 1. age of the carpet 2. quality of the carpet 3. original cost of the carpet. 4. estimated life of the carpet Let us say the landlord paid $1000 for a carpet that has a life expectancy of 10 years. That works out to $100 per year. Let us say the carpet is 9 years old. That means the landlord would be entitled to $100 from you and no more. If the 9 year old carpet were in pristine condition [unlikely] he may get a little more. Whether or not he is replacing the carpet but deciding to go with hardwood is irrelevant. He will be able to apply what money he is owed to the cost of the hardwood flooring. You and your landlord need to address the 4 criteria above before he starts giving you a figure. This can be determined by a carpet specialist or carpet company. If he has already tossed out the old carpet and had no pictures showing its condition then a judge would determine liability based on what would be considered normal wear and tear on a carpet based on its age.
