Re: Alleged pet odor damage to carpet/tile - Landlord Forum thread 348449

Re: Alleged pet odor damage to carpet/tile by Garry on September 18, 2016 @09:54

Professional carpet cleaners nowadays have chemicals that can neutralize urine smells so you cannot smell them after the chem. is applied. Judges probably know that, also. If you are taken to court, a judge may award the LL the cost of cleaning and those chem costs, as long as you can prove the dogs were there for only a very short time. If the judge awards the LL an amount to replace the carpet, it will be a reduced amount of the actual cost of the4 new carpet. That's because the judge takes into account how old the the ruined carpet was. I believe the IRS allows a LL to depreciate the cost of a new carpet over 7 years, for tax perpouses. Judges use those same guidelines. So, in theory, if the carpet was 5 years old, a judge may award the LL the remaining 2/7ths of the cost of the new carpet. That may not make much sense to you, but in the LL/business world, that's the way it works. All you can do is present all your proof in court, and the LL will present his. Then it's up to a judge to decide damages. Save all those texts/emails. They will be part of your proof. If the LL decides to take anything out of your deposit for either cleaning, or replacing the carpets, it will be up to YOU to file in court against the LL if you want to have a chance of getting any of your deposit back.

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