Accidently burnt a hole in rental carpet - what happens now?

Partake0486 on 04/04/2016 - 12:16

Was vacuuming the house I've rented for 2.5 years yesterday in preparation for my quarterly inspection tomorrow. I have an old, cheap, upright vacuum that while a pain, hasn't caused me issues up until now. I was downstairs finishing up and I had the vacuum in one spot while I was using the hose extension to do a corner, I then switched off the vacuum and moved it only to find it had left a nice little burn mark underneath it about the circumference of a small can of tuna. It hasn't burnt all the way through the carpet but it's noticeable enough.

Initially I was going to cover it with something but I've since decided I'll mention it on the inspection report. Since I've never been in this situation before what can I expect will happen? I don't want to lose the entirety of my bond over this.

P.S. Guess it's time for a Dyson :)

Home & Garden

Comments

  • bonezAU on 04/04/2016 - 12:22
    +10

    Just tell your agent / landlord what happened, be upfront and honest. Tell them you will pay for the repairs. Better to do it now and have the opportunity to get some quotes rather than waiting until you move out and they send you a bill from their preferred repairer.

    • StewBalls on 04/04/2016 - 13:54
      +2

      ^This. I am far more likely to give my tenants a fair go if they are straight with me early on, rather than have them leave an unpleasant surprise at the end of the tenancy.

    • Charity on 05/04/2016 - 16:26

      Can it be repaired? or does the entire room need to be replaced?

  • QuickToThePointless on 04/04/2016 - 12:35

    Probably best to even it out a bit

    Then just make an insurance claim

    • tonka on 15/04/2016 - 21:56

      I've been told carpet isn't insured?

      • endotherm on 15/04/2016 - 22:41
        +1

        Carpet can be insured, but strangely it is covered under your contents policy, not your building insurance. Insurers consider that it isn't part of the structure and can technically be rolled up and taken with you if you leave. This is despite the fact that most are actually nailed to the building structure!

        • tonka on 16/04/2016 - 00:52

          Thanks, I had asked the question as a landlord. I remember you are right, they said it was contents but as I wasn't living there I couldn't insure contents. Thought it was bizarre. I had it from opposite perspective tenants burnt through carpet then made sure they didn't pay last months rent so I couldn't take bond for it. Well that and the holes in the walls, 6 tonnes of garbage etc.

  • giu on 04/04/2016 - 12:46

    Tenant's contents insurance should cover this?

  • Randxyz123 on 04/04/2016 - 12:47

    Be upfront tell them what happened and tell them you'll get it sorted.

    Maybe find out from your landlord if they have any spare carpet for that room so the repairer can fix it.

    • the-mal on 04/04/2016 - 13:44
      +2

      whatever you do, dont be honest and own up.

      Wow. Really? That's a bit scummy.

      Theyll just keep your bond

      Or a portion thereof. Since that's the purpose of providing a bond, to repair damages that are beyond normal wear and tear.

      If you start off with honesty most landlords/agents aren't going to be bothered trying to screw you out of a measly bond - it's not worth their time and hassle. They know if they push the boundaries it'll likely end up in tribunal, and no one wants that.

      If you've been a great tenant they may just let it slide as wear and tear depending on how damaged it is. But if you're dishonest and they catch you out on their inspection, any good will is out the window.

      Burning the carpet isn't normal wear and tear. A bond is designed to cover damages that aren't wear and tear.

      • QuickToThePointless on 04/04/2016 - 13:55
        +1

        OP says they dont want to lose their bond - "scummy" or not, i have presented a sure fire way to achieve this goal.

        Carpet is probably 10+ years old anyway - If you can fix it so it looks ok to the eye then thats fine in my book - its not like you are patching up a hole in the roof with paper mache

        The company handling the rent inspection will use applicable laws to the letter to take your bond - thats their job.

        they wont care what a great tenant you are or if you go to church every Sunday

        As with most rentals, there is prpbably a dozen things that Op could have made complaints about but either fixed themselves or just let slide.

        This kind of thing presents an opportunity to event things out a bit

        • the-mal on 04/04/2016 - 15:03
          +1

          i have presented a sure fire way to achieve this goal.

          You've presented a sure fire way to getting the real estate and owner offside and ensuring they go over the entire place with a fine tooth comb to find any other badly hidden nasties.

          OP also mentioned that he didn't want to do the dodgy thing and cover it up.

          This is a quarterly inspection, not an end of lease inspection. Why risk getting the agent and owner offside?

        • QuickToThePointless on 04/04/2016 - 15:35
          -1

          @the-mal: id say just back your skills in masking the burn so that noone will notice - it should be achievable for most who posses functional eyes and hands

          If they find the cover up, then your bond is gone anyway, so it wont matter If they go over the rest of the place and find something.

          If you look at it that way, its like taking a bet where you can only win the sum of your bond back - if you are resigned to the fact your bond is already gone the moment you burned the carpet, you just cant lose!

          OPs first instinct was to cover it up - Ive learned to trust your first instinct, more often than not its the right course of action

          OP - if you want extra surety, put a large mark on the nearest wall about 3 meters from the burn mark. Use something like a dress shoe, or a rubber stopper that you find on the bottom of step ladders, metal tables etc.

          Its the old "look over there" trick. This will draw attention away from the burn area and will only cost you like $50 from your bond if you cant be arsed fixing the paintwork yourself - its likely that sugar soap and elbow brease will fix the problem anyway

  • uradox on 04/04/2016 - 13:20
    +3

    I managed to set the old kitchen blinds on fire in the last apartment I lived in. Told the agent straight up with photos, and got it replaced. Didn't affect me negatively when I collected bond (since I replaced them) and it didn't affect future references from the agent.

  • mangoss on 04/04/2016 - 13:30

    What a lot of tenants don't realise is that carpets in a rental property are a depreciating asset - meaning that you will likely not have to pay full costs for replacing an entire carpet or even a portion of it if it's more than a year old. I only found this out after my pissed friend spilt red wine on my (tenanted) cream carpet!

    Speak to Fair Trading about what you are legally obligated to pay for.

    At the same time, good on you for being honest and trying to negotiate with the landlord - better karma all round :) See if they have some spare carpet so you can do a patch instead of a full refurb.

    • WT on 05/04/2016 - 09:03

      Vanish will get red wine out

      • altomic on 06/04/2016 - 07:52
        +1

        5 second rule applies to spilt alcohol.

        • WT on 06/04/2016 - 12:27
          +1

          The carpet will act as a filter if you suck it up through a straw anyways

  • cupcake on 04/04/2016 - 13:40
    -4

    Cover it up with a rug and hopefully no one will notice it when the place comes up for sale.

  • GameChanger on 04/04/2016 - 14:55
    -3

    Don't own up to it, some landlords will expect you replace the whole house.

    Cover it up and repair it in your own time

    • the-mal on 04/04/2016 - 15:05
      +1

      They can't get you to replace the whole house of carpets. There are tribunals that operate to define what's "reasonable" and if they tried that on they'd be shown the door, have to pay costs and get a mark next to their name.

      • GameChanger on 04/04/2016 - 15:46

        You will still lose your bond, which can be equivalent to a couple of rooms replacement.

        • the-mal on 04/04/2016 - 17:09
          +7

          You don't just "lose your bond". A portion of your bond is used for repairs. No more, no less. You're allowed to request to see the quotes prior to them getting the repairs and you're entitled to a copy of the repair invoice to ensure it's all legit. The landlord/agent/owner also has to show that they've made a reasonable attempt to limit the repair costs (eg they can't replace cheap carpet with better carpet, they can't go for the most expensive repairer). A bond isn't allowed to just be taken - it has to be accounted for, legally.

          A bond is simply a reasonable limit agreed upfront to cover small incidental repairs that go above and beyond reasonable wear and tear. It's a small coverage to keep these little disputes out of the courts. Remember whilst you're in a rental agreement the bond money isn't yours OR the landlords…it's held by an independent third party until both you and the landlord agree who it should go back to and in what ratio.

          If a landlord/agent ever applies to take your entire bond, demand to see repair receipts and if you don't think it adds up take it to tribunal. It all has to be "reasonable" by law.

          I'm sure lots of shonky landlords will try to "take" the bond, but they're relying on the ignorance/complacency of the tenant not to dispute them "taking" it (and by not disputing it, you're seen to be agreeing to it).

          Bonds are there to cover both parties in the event of (usually accidental) damage that is beyond wear and tear - exactly the scenario that the OP describes.

        • Slippery Fish on 05/04/2016 - 08:21
          +3

          @the-mal:when my sister was younger her land lord wanted all her 1000 bond, she challanged and turned out all the land lord could have was $100, she was claiming for polishing and sanding of UN polished wooden floors lol.

          Some landlords just suck balls.

  • daleyboy79 on 04/04/2016 - 15:26
    +2

    Be straight up and tell them about it … but also ask if you can hold off replacing it until you are ready to move out
    Last thing you want is to replace the carpet and then have a similar incident occur having to do it again.

  • endotherm on 04/04/2016 - 16:38
    +4

    Got a photo of it that you can post? If it's just singed on the tip of the pile, you might get away with giving it a "haircut". Professional carpetlayers actually do this to even out the height of a pile when they join it before laying, so it's nothing unusual. Carpet wears back normally with time anyway. You might also want to inquire with a carpet store as they might have some tricks of the trade.

    • QuickToThePointless on 04/04/2016 - 16:53
      -2

      I suggested a similar method above - a few of the more pious members proceeded to neg me, and now the neg lemmings are following in full force.

  • red-hot on 04/04/2016 - 17:21
    +5

    http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1859172
    What we do in the carpet cleaning industry is swap a piece of carpet from inside a wardrobe, with the burnt piece.
    This works better with a plush pile than a sisal type.
    The repair is usually undetectable.
    Best to leave to a professional, than do it yourself.
    Lot cheaper than replacement.

    • WT on 05/04/2016 - 09:06

      Id do this before moving out and hide it for now, who knows you might do something similar again so just fix it when you move.

  • barginhunter11 on 04/04/2016 - 20:28

    Head to bunnings and buy some paint to color match it

  • Pumpkin_rrr on 05/04/2016 - 07:57
    +1

    Good they you're planning to tell your Agent/ Landlord. I'm sure they'll appreciate. Covering it up as some suggested is a low form.

    Do not attempt to do any repair yourself. Works should be approved and let them tell you how to fix this. Try not to make it worse.

    Good luck!

  • Big Trev on 05/04/2016 - 08:11
    +1

    If you cause damage, you can only be liable for the fraction of the remaining useful life of the item. For instance, if you wreck the carpet in a room (though your negligence), and the carpet was 5 years old, it's reasonable to say that carpet has a life of around 10 years so you would be up for 50% of the replacement cost, not all of it.

    Many/most landlords or agents will try and hit you up for the whole cost of a repair, and then if you can demonstrate that you know your rights they'll back down.

    Look up some info online, there's good info here (if you're in Vic, but it probably applies elsewhere too: https://www.tuv.org.au/)

    Also, I strongly recommend that any arrangement you come to with the landlord or agent is in writing. Even if it's just you confirming a phone conversation by email back to them (doesn't matter if they reply or not). I've had issues before where they would not commit any agreements to writing, and the story kept changing…

  • [Deactivated] on 05/04/2016 - 11:03
    +2

    Before all else

    Please throw out that vacuum immediately (unless of course it is close to end of or still under warranty)

    Unfortunately it is near impossible to replace a small portion of carpet unless the landlord has left over carpet of the same batch. (replacement carpet will never match and require entire area to be replaced.)

    Please advise the landlord of the problem and advise you are happy for how it is to remain and cover with a rug.

    A landlord will need to replace the carpet every 2 - 5 years anyway so allow them to continue their regular routine and replace the whole area when originally planned.

  • goosegog on 05/04/2016 - 16:13

    Good on you for being such a caring tenant . Hope it works out for you & the property manager or owner accept that you have tried to do the right thing. Would also agree though that maybe your current vacuum cleaner has come to the end of its' days & needs to be passed on to the big recycling tip, whilst you do research on the best prices to purchase a Dyson. Good luck on the outcome.

  • timetoquit on 05/04/2016 - 20:01
    +1

    just went through this with a tenant, cost was $450 to relay the room, wasn't the identical colour but close enough. Was a really bad rip, straight through the underlay. They were honest and upfront about it, I did my best to ensure I got the best price possible before going ahead with the job. Our previous tenant prior to him left an iron mark and never told me, agent never picked it up also which annoyed the hell out of me. But a quick patch job was sufficient and cost us around $75 bucks, was a visible repair but good enough.

    I hate dealing with dishonest people let alone tenants who are dishonest, it sickens me. But hey, whatever makes them sleep well at night!

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