Can a landlord charge a tenant for cleaning a carpet?
It is not within the law for a landlord to charge their tenant for cleaning a carpet. Carpet cleaning should be there in the turnover costs and it is the responsibility of landlord for cleaning or replacing carpets that have not been damaged beyond normal wear and tear.
One such obligation is that the tenants will have to leave the apartment clean and dirt free. It is the duty of the tenant to clean the apartment thoroughly before moving out and ensure it is as they arrived, allowing for normal wear and tear. When DIY vacuuming and cleaning fails to eliminate all the stains and dirt, the tenant needs to hire a professional cleaner who can give the carpets deeper cleaning.
Since the laws of carpet cleaning protect the tenant, that does not mean they can leave the apartment in a messy way after the expiration of the tenancy. A landlord possesses the legal right to hold back the security amount in order to pay for carpet cleaning if it is not in good condition. If the landlord finds there is excessive wear and tear on the carpet, then they may deduct some money to cater to carpet cleaning needs.
Some unusual wear and tear in the carpets include – dirty and stained spots, oil on the carpets and pet-urine which is hard to clean. some damages may require a more thorough clean, and the tenant would need to pay for the cleaning services.
If you are going to rent a property, before you decide to move in, make sure you go through the lease agreement carefully and know what it says about cleaning the carpets. Some lease agreements ask the tenant to get the carpets cleaned by the professionals before they check out.
Whether you are a landlord or a tenant, for a really thorough clean call Masterclean.