Tenant had a dog which they snuck in & then claimed as assistance animal. Grrrr.

So they vacated & had the carpet cleaned & deodorized- but not by one of my recommended cleaners. Carpet still has spot of some kind of gunk, & some other spots of colored substance. I vacuumed and picked up tons of dirt & pet hair. Carpet looks like it wasn't really cleaned.

I talked to the cleaner & they said the tenant was there the whole time & they only asked for the minimum cleaning - no deep cleaning or enzyme cleaner normally used for pet dander & damages.

I'm going to have my guy clean again - accounting for the obvious pet residue left.

Can I charge tenant for this?

" Can I charge tenant for this? "

Yes, but think about how you would prove the circumstances to a judge.

The rule is, " The cleaning of the premises upon termination of the tenancy necessary to return the unit to the same level of cleanliness it was in at the inception of the tenancy. "

I took photos of the pet hair and dirt on my shop vac & in the brand new shop vac filter.

I had my cleaner do steam cleaning before tenant moved in.

Lois,

What does your lease say? This is a common problem and should be outlines in every proper lease.

My lease is clear: hotel clean, ready for the next res without any work by Management. Carpet mist be cleaned by XYZ Company only. No other cleaners are accepted. Don’t risk ruining several thousand dollars of carpet with cheap do it yourself rental or household machines and chemicals.

Management is final authority to determine clean and repaired. Unauthorized animals brought into the home charge $350.

So yes, I would charge them for cleaning AND the animal. Lease says $50 per room for carpet cleaning. Add $90 for animal deodorizing the carpet.

If there is still dog hair they probably used a home style machine or nothing.

PS

As evidence ask your shampooer to clean a square in the dirtiest spot. Take a picture to show the difference for their Deposit Settlement and for possible court.

For evidence of odor lay a handkerchief on the stinkiest area, place a weight on top of it and leave it there as long as you can. Bag it and save it for court - so the judge can smell it! But MY judge says “Don’t open that thing in MY courtroom!” Point made.

AND have your shampooer write a note about “strong animal odor” on the bill.

Thank you for all the responses!

I have it in my rental agreement that the tenant pays for a professional carpet cleaning, but I arrange it with my preferred carpet cleaner after they move out.

I've had too many experiences with tenants using rug doctor and home machines and giving me fake receipts for carpet that very obviously was not cleaned.

The tenants like the arrangement just fine, They move in with clean carpet and they don't have to worry about getting their stuff out and having the carpet cleaned before their deadline.

It has nothing to do with your lease.

The basic idea is that tenant pays for what he has done, landlord pays for the result of wearing out of the premises and furnishings. Competent courts are aware of what goes on in other states, and the general trend of ideas and thoughts across the country. CA law is very well-written and specific and generally leads the way in articulating the standards that courts across the country universally use.

You must establish the condition of the premises at the inception of the tenancy, the condition when the tenant returned it to you, and what has to be done to return the latter to the former. There is no room for landlord to change this in his lease.

There isn't an easy answer here if the flooring is old.

Have not yet returned deposit.

Lois,

Don’t miss the legal deadline to deliver the Deposit Settlement!

Useful life of carpet is about 7 years. Get cost of new carpet divide by 7 years and times that by the 2 years longer it should have lasted.

"Due to severity of damage done by unauthorized pet and the inability to remove odor from carpet and pad we have had to replace carpet." Your portion of that cost is XYZ dollars.

CA code allows for deduction from SD for " The cleaning of the premises upon termination of the tenancy necessary to return the unit to the same level of cleanliness it was in at the inception of the tenancy. " which is separate from the allowance of deduction for "The repair of damages to the premises, exclusive of ordinary wear and tear, caused by the tenant or by a guest or licensee of the tenant."

Age of carpet is relative to wear & tear and NOT to cleaning. Cleaning and damage are different and should not be confused.

Moshu CA hope you get to answer/read this before this post is gone.

Actually carpet is not pee soaked. I checked with blacklight last night. But as I said, wasn't well cleaned.

Actually carpet is not pee soaked. I checked with blacklight last night. But as I said, wasn't well cleaned.

The law says that you may charge for cleaning back to condition at beginning of tenancy; if it was already cleaned, then you need some basis for claiming further charge. If further cleaning will bring it back to initial condition, then you may charge for it, subject to your ability to prove that to a judge.

If the carpet is worn out, then it needs to be replaced, and that is on the landlord.

A more interesting case would be if the carpet is worn but serviceable: the law says that you may clean it at tenant expense, but not to replace it on him. Conversely, if the carpet was within its useful life but cannot be cleaned satisfactorily, then it is damaged and you can replace it making pro-rated charge to tenant.