Can Landlord Charge For Carpet Cleaning California

A landlord can charge for cleaning if the carpet is excessively dirty and or damaged.

Can landlord charge for carpet cleaning california. Depending on the age of the appliance or carpet the landlord must pro rate the cost against the average life of the appliance or carpet. According to the department of agriculture trade and consumer protection landlords cannot charge for routine carpet cleaning during the lease or from a security deposit no matter what your lease says. I am under the impression that california law does not require the tenant to clean the carpets clean. In other words landlords bear the cost of the routine carpet cleaning when a tenant moves out.

A landlord cannot routinely charge each tenant for cleaning carpets drapes walls or windows in order to prepare the rental unit for the next tenancy. If a unit was rented out in a brand new condition and returned very dirty the landlord could charge 200 to 500 dollars to get things clean depending on what. If the carpet cleaning does not exceed a professional cleaner s normal rate and the carpet doesn t have any actual damage landlords should not charge a tenant for dirty carpets. Also the lease agreement may stipulate that the tenants handle the carpet cleaning before they vacate the property.

The real deal with carpet cleaning. For example carpeting has a useful life of 10 years. Thus if the tenant s damage cheated three years out of the carpets life the landlord under california law could only hold the tenant responsible for 300. The amount that a landlord can charge for cleaning a unit depends on the state the unit was rented out in the state the unit was returned in and the general rules of wear and tear.

A landlord cannot charge for routine cleaning. In california for example the landlord must provide receipts for any repairs or cleaning over 126. Also normal wear and tear to carpets drapes and other furnishings cannot be charged against a tenant s security deposit normal wear and tear includes simple wearing down of carpet. Your landlord cannot legally deduct from your security deposit even if.

There is no legal reason to single out the. Can landlord charge for carpet cleaning. Published 4 00 am pdt sunday.