Apartment charging for carpet - suggestions?

[danielhv]

Long story short:

Moved in 1/4/2010. Noted on my check in sheet that there were various stains on the carpet before moving in (so carpet was not replaced.) I lived there until 12/31/2011, so 2 years. Wife had a dog, we paid pet rent, and he DID pee on the carpet and fuck it up... not disputing that. They sent me a bill for $1015.88 to replace the carpet. My issue with this is that it wasn't replaced when I moved in, I lived on it for 2 years, and despite the pet stains, they would have HAD to replace it anyways just due to wear & tear. I told them I have no problem paying some of it, but don't think its fair to have to pay for ALL of it since they would have had to replace it regardless of if I had a pet or not. They of course took my $200 pet deposit as well, which I expected.

Am I just way out of line for thinking this?

[mstng86]

So what is the point of the pet deposit?

[stevo]

So what is the point of the pet deposit?

To fuck people out of another $200.

Stevo

[Silverback]

I'd ask them how often they replace carpet due to normal wear and tear, and then ask them when the carpet in that apartment was last replaced.

I'm sure if you talk to them, they'll still make you pay something, since you did admit to your dog tearing up the carpet.

[Binky]

Nope, you aren't out of line - but that's not gonna stop the apartment community from wanting you to pay for it. That's an expense for them, and if they have an option to bill you for it they will. Every. Fucking. Time.

I lived in the same apartment for 10 years. They never replaced the carpet and this is after there were two floods from busted water heaters in surrounding apartments. Yet, when i moved out - I got a bill for the carpet replacement. I counted up the rent that I'd paid over 10 years, took the bill to the leasing office and then spoke my mind.

"If you didn't manage to budget for $600 worth of carpet after I paid over $115,000 in rent over the last 10 years then you should find another line of work. Don't ever send me another bill unless you want to speak to my lawyer." Tore the bill up in the property managers office and tossed it on her desk.

Fuck apartments.

[Ratt]

Nope, you aren't out of line - but that's not gonna stop the apartment community from wanting you to pay for it. That's an expense for them, and if they have an option to bill you for it they will. Every. Fucking. Time.

I lived in the same apartment for 10 years. They never replaced the carpet and this is after there were two floods from busted water heaters in surrounding apartments. Yet, when i moved out - I got a bill for the carpet replacement. I counted up the rent that I'd paid over 10 years, took the bill to the leasing office and then spoke my mind.

"If you didn't manage to budget for $600 worth of carpet after I paid over $115,000 in rent over the last 10 years then you should find another line of work. Don't ever send me another bill unless you want to speak to my lawyer." Tore the bill up in the property managers office and tossed it on her desk.

Fuck apartments.

I've done this, only more politely. I was in the same situation of my apartment needing new carpet when I moved in, but them not replacing it. Lived there for two years, completed my move-out inspection sheet, and lo and behold, I got a bill for it after I moved out. I walked in the office with my carbon copies of my management-signed move-in and move-out checklist and the bill and said, "This isn't happening." They dropped the charge.

[Silverback]

I had it happen to me years ago, when the property management company changed ownership.

While I was living there a pipe burst in the downstairs bathroom. They fixed it and cleaned the carpet, but there was some damage. I told the manager at the time that there's no need to replace it while I was living there, and to make note that it occurred in my file. She did. Evidently it was removed from my file when the new property management company took over. When I moved out, they tried to stick my roommate and I with full carpet replacement costs.

I told them to suck it, he decided to pay his share. They sent me to collections, etc. I waited until it the collection account was sold to someone else, and disputed it due to lack of information. It was removed from my credit as they had none of the original information as to what the claim was for.

[Baron Von Crowder]

I had it happen to me years ago, when the property management company changed ownership.

While I was living there a pipe burst in the downstairs bathroom. They fixed it and cleaned the carpet, but there was some damage. I told the manager at the time that there's no need to replace it while I was living there, and to make note that it occurred in my file. She did. Evidently it was removed from my file when the new property management company took over. When I moved out, they tried to stick my roommate and I with full carpet replacement costs.

I told them to suck it, he decided to pay his share. They sent me to collections, etc. I waited until it the collection account was sold to someone else, and disputed it due to lack of information. It was removed from my credit as they had none of the original information as to what the claim was for.

Ditto.

[juiceweezl]

I'd tell them good luck collecting that. Odds are it was going to be replaced anyway. You should lose your deposit, and potentially a tiny bit more, but that's it. What does the contract say about the pet deposit?

[KCHAR]

To fuck people out of another $200.

Stevo

X2

Charging for carpet is another form of revenue generation

[talisman]

To fuck people out of another $200.

Stevo

And there you have it.

[Baba Ganoush]

I moved out of some apartments in Dallas after I was burglarized 3 times in 5 months. Everytime they forced entry, door or window, and fucked up both in the process. It was no doubt a resident there. I filed a police report for each incident, relented my lease early, and moved the fuck out after less than a year.

Six months later, I got a bill from that complex for the damage to the door and window for $900! Fucking unbelieveable. It took another year to clear that shit up.


Fuck apartments. Good luck!

[mustngacman]

The wife is in Apt management. She says the life of Apt carpet is considered 5 years. Find out when it was last replaced and go from there. Also are they changing tack strip and padding.

[littlemoney]

The wife is in Apt management. She says the life of Apt carpet is considered 5 years. Find out when it was last replaced and go from there. Also are they changing tack strip and padding.

This.... They HAVE To prorate, if you file a small claims against them for removal, they have to produce the paperwork of replacement date, your move in condition form (which I hope you have your copies)

1015 / 5= 203 x 2= 406-200= $206 is what you should owe I based this on new replacement 3 years ago. (2 from you and said carpet was dirty so maybe 1 year)

[Silverback]

This.... They HAVE To prorate, if you file a small claims against them for removal, they have to produce the paperwork of replacement date, your move in condition form (which I hope you have your copies)

1015 / 5= 203 x 2= 406-200= $206 is what you should owe I based this on new replacement 3 years ago. (2 from you and said carpet was dirty so maybe 1 year)

Close, most standard pet deposits say that you will not see the pet deposit back, and it is not applied to damages.

So maybe the 406, depending on what his normal deposit was.