Are Tenants Responsible For Carpet Cleaning In California

The accompanying note cites carpet cleaning as an example of an impermissible basis for withholding a portion of a security deposit.

Are tenants responsible for carpet cleaning in california.

At american heritage we started using a one year time limit as the determining factor and we have never had a legal problem enforcing this rule. This would mean the tenant is required to get the carpets professionally cleaned before leaving the apartment. However if the tenant fails to do so landlords can t deduct the standard cleaning from the deposit. Under california law unless the carpet is visibly damaged and that damage is not the result of normal wear and tear the landlord cannot hold the tenant responsible for the damage or the cost of replacement for the carpet.

For instance an inordinate amount of pet hair or a urine smell left in the carpet would be beyond normal wear and tear as these are avoidable conditions and beyond normal use. A landlord has the responsibility to make a rental property habitable and california law specifies what a property must. Can landlord charge for carpet cleaning. The cost of replacing the carpet after 10 years falls to the landlord.

According to california law ca civil code 1940 1954 05 under a lease tenants have certain rights such as the right to a habitable dwelling due process for evictions and more landlords also have rights such as the right to collect rent and to collect for property. Below is information that is listed by the california department of consumer affairs www dca ca gov regarding deductions on these specific items. Additionally tenants cannot be held responsible for defects in the carpet that existed before they moved in. Landlord s responsibilities in california regarding appliances and carpets.

Under california landlord tenant guidelines a carpet s useful life is eight to 10 years. In california a lease exists whenever there is an oral or written agreement to exchange rent for inhabiting a property. My conclusion that carpet cleaning provisions are valid does not affect the prohibition against deducting carpet cleaning expenses from a tenant s security deposit as a means of enforcing such provisions. I am under the impression that california law does not require the tenant to clean the carpets clean the window coverings wash the ceiling or paint.

Charging a security deposit for carpet cleaning and painting depends on how long the tenant occupied the premises and in what condition the walls and carpet were left.