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WA state landlord tenant laws, replacement of carpet, tenant's responsibility

my mother has licved in an apartment for 17 years. For the past 4 years she has had a dog. There have been a few accidents and the landlord wants to replace the carpet but wants my mother, a senior, to pay for the carpeting. I do not oknow how old the carpet was when she moved in so we will use 17 years as an age indicator for the carpet. Should she have to pay for all of the cost of the carpet replacement. We just painted her apartment at our expense since it had never been painted.

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Attorney answers (1)

Reputation Level 6
[MI only] IMO: A lessor has a duty to maintain a property in reasonable repair and fit for its intended use. A 17-year old carpet is long past its useful life, as would be a 17-year old paint job. Although some communities have a local rental certification program and might demand that the lessor replace such an old carpet, I do not otherwise know how to FORCE the lessor to replace it [or pay for the paint]. The lessor should be pleased to have had such a long-term tenant and should pay for both items, but short of a city inspector ordering the repairs, I do not know how to force the issue. One final note: even if the lessor could be forced to pay for these items, they are under no obligation to allow the lessee to remain in possession after the end of this lease term, so if your mom WAS successful in forcing the issue, the lessor may not extend her lease. I would try to negotiate with the lessor and see if a lease extension would not encourage him/her to do these upgrades. [MI only]

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