Deposit return

[numag1]

New York. I have been renting an apartment on Long Island for over 7 years now. The carpet is old and has never been replaced. I recently accidentally burned a hole in it. Am I still liable for damages?

 

[LdiJ]

New York. I have been renting an apartment on Long Island for over 7 years now. The carpet is old and has never been replaced. I recently accidentally burned a hole in it. Am I still liable for damages?

Well, the carpet is long past its useful life if it was already old before you moved in. If it was brand new when you moved in and is of high quality it might still have a few years of useful life so you might be responsible for its depreciated value. How big of a hole did you burn in it?

 

[numag1]

About the size of a quarter.

 

[LdiJ]

About the size of a quarter.

Are there any spare pieces of carpet in any of the closets? If the carpet has a pile, you can sometimes cut some fibers to superglue in the burn spot. You clean the burn spot really well first and brush it firmly to remove any charred pieces that you can, and then you superglue the fibers in the spot. Its not a perfect solution but it looks much better than the burned spot.

If it is the kind of carpet that doesn't have a pile, then cleaning it well and brushing the spot will at least make it look less bad.

 

[numag1]

No spare carpet. But the carpet is old now and has a lot of wear and tear after 7 years of normal use. Don't they have to change it anyway before they can rent it out again?

 

[adjusterjack]

Don't they have to change it anyway before they can rent it out again?

They don't "have to." Depends on the quality of tenants and the amount of rent they want to charge and how desperate a tenant is for an apartment.

It's usually a good business decision to replace worn out carpet and paint before re-renting. In the long run it enhances the rent that can be charge especially in a desirable area.

However, understand that nothing depreciates to zero if it is still usable no matter how worn it is and you are responsible for damage that you cause. You may have to resign yourself to being dinged some for the damage. Make sure you photograph the place and the condition. If the owner charges you too much there is always small claims court.

 

[numag1]

Ok. Thanks for your reply. Much appreciated.