Renter's Cats Urinated on New Carpet

karenestelle on 24/08/2024 - 17:12
Last edited 24/08/2024 - 17:32 by 1 other user

Hubby and I are overseeing a two storey property which is managed through a Real Estate.

We are inspecting the house with the agent to keep an eye on things as the previous Real Estate failed to report a lot of damage including holes in carpet and kitchen doors hanging off. The tenants left and the home had to be renovated which included new kitchen and new carpets throughout. The new tenants moved in and had two cats. After 8 months they moved out when the rent went up. After 6 months we inspected the home but didn't notice anything wrong. They did have perfumed candles around the home which were lit when we viewed it.

After 8 months they moved out and we inspected the home when the carpets were still wet and heavily deodorised. Just 3 days later the new tenants moved in by which time the carpets had dried and they now smell strongly of cat urine. This is throughout the carpet area of the house.

My first question is has anyone used a company to treat carpet to rid the smell? Also has anyone had success with the Bond Board in getting the tenant to pay to have similar problem fixed? We would be grateful to receive any advice.

Thank you.

Home & Garden Investment

Comments

Mugsy on 25/08/2024 - 07:28

+11
OP, as a prior landlord myself and having worked in a real estate agency, my advice…

Don't get carpet… it's horrible to deal with as a landlord. I suggest a nice vinyl. It's more durable than laminate or timber floor and can look almost as nice… I use to have one that was a wooden floor pattern and it's actually fooled some people into thinking it was timber flooring. Tiles for wet areas of course… but don't put it throughout the property. They're a pain to repair if they crack/dent and you don't have spares. Get vinyl and buy an extra 2 boxes… keep it with yourself if you live in the same city… else the tenants could use use it for their own needs.

Tell your real estate agent that you have allergies to scented candles/air fresheners/perfume/Glen20/etc and ask that tenants don't use them when the inspection is on else the inspection will be rescheduled for after they've aired the property. As you've found out, if they have the place scented up, it's possibly a sign the place stinks from something.

I don't do the landlord thing anymore… the Mrs and I built a house… I disposed of my prior rentals to fund the build and we will sell her townhouse that we are currently living in to pay off a chunk of the house loan. Will spend the next decade paying off the remainder of the loan and just enjoy life.
- happydude on 27/08/2024 - 12:35
  
  I second vinyl flooring. It is the best product - hard wearing, easy to install, highly water resistant.
  
  I lived in a place with wood laminate… in the kitchen. Needless to say it (profanity) up pretty quick.
Benno007 on 25/08/2024 - 08:16

+5

I had a hard time getting any damage caused by my tenants dog clawing at the carpet, pissing on it and pissing on the balcony and leaving it stained. And I never increased their rent more than CPI despite my REA saying I could get double

Because my carpet was older than 7 years, it was deemed worthless, despite clear photographic evidence there was no damage before they moved in. I live in QLD.

I just won’t accept anyone with pets anymore but will have to find other reasons, or find what other additional special conditions I can impose.
- Mugsy on 25/08/2024 - 08:40
  
  +3
  
  And in this market, there are plenty of applicants so pretty easy to pick one without pets.
  
  But always keep your rental at market value… sometimes you get a really good tenant but most will leave some form of damage and getting market value is needed to pay for that damage (as well as ensure enough in the bond if your initial rent is high enough).
- Extreme on 25/08/2024 - 10:48
  
  +1
  
  You don’t need to find other reasons.
  
  You aren’t required to justify saying no to a particular applicant.
  
  Maximise rent and be prepared for if/when any problems occur.
  - ThithLord on 26/08/2024 - 10:25
    
    You aren’t required to justify saying no to a particular applicant.
    
    You are in QLD
    - Extreme on 28/08/2024 - 09:03
      
      Not for a tenancy application.
      
      If a tenant is already in place and requests to keep a pet at the premises, then yes a landlord must have a reasonable refusal as justification to say no.
      
      If a tenant was to apply for a property and declare they have a pet, a landlord doesn’t even need to respond to the application, let alone outlining a yes or no, or any reason for saying no.
      - ThithLord on 28/08/2024 - 09:10
        
        @Extreme: OK - my mistake! Thanks
- stewy on 28/08/2024 - 13:39
  
  What often happens in Qld is they just submit their application listing no pets and once they have signed the lease, submit a pet application and there is basically nothing you can do about it.
tabitha731 on 25/08/2024 - 08:23

-1

First problem there is you bought a property to rent out.. renters can't be trusted to treat your property with respect, esp with the post covid new laws allowing pets in rentals regardless if an owner allows it or not. If u do want to own a property, make sure u don't rely completely on a real estate agent to do regular inspections. If u can do it yourself & let ur tenants know how u expect to find your property every time it is inspected
- Mugsy on 25/08/2024 - 08:37
  
  +2
  
  Nothing wrong with being a landlord. People always complain about landlords… and we're now seeing a shortage in rentals needed. Our society is geared up for greater contribution from private sector with the State governments doing less and less. So private property rentals is very much needed now.
  
  But I wouldn't buy a property constructed from timber frames and the inside walls are plasterboard. Pet wee and smells from cooking should be the least of people's worries… if anyone uses the property as a meth lab, that's a lot one would need to rip out.
  
  A 1960/70s built unit that is all concrete is more durable. Vinyl flooring and go for cheap discounted curtains from curtain wonderland (cost me $400-450 for 4x windows a few years ago and that's including rods)… just accept the curtains will need replacing every 5yrs.
  - Andrew0415 on 25/08/2024 - 10:26
    
    +15
    
    Landlords don't contribute to housing supply as they generally buy from established housing stock and the increased commodification of housing over the last three decades has seen lower affordability and supply for renters and non-investors.
    - Mugsy on 25/08/2024 - 20:09
      
      +1
      
      We're talking about two separate things… you're looking at total housing supply which I would agree that landlords don't contribute towards. You need either more development or population control to manage demand.
      
      But most States/Territories don't do jack to improve the share of rental properties of the total stock for middle class income earners who either can't or don't want to buy a property. That's where you need landlords… and with the number of investors selling up due to higher loan repayments and restrictions on rent increases has made the effects of a housing shortage even worse.
      
      In the perfect world, property would not be private assets but public good allocated to everyone… but that's not the world we live in.
      - peteru on 26/08/2024 - 23:28
        
        +1
        
        @Mugsy:
        
        In the perfect world, property would not be private assets but public good allocated to everyone… but that's not the world we live in.
        
        Unfortunately this theory is not a workable solution. I lived in a country where the vast majority of housing was nationalised (i.e. stolen from people). Properties were allocated to families / individuals by the socialist government. It was total disaster. Much, much worse than anything we have here.
        
        Mugsy on 27/08/2024 - 07:18
        
        @peteru: Well, perfect world where the government isn't corrupt either, nor properties ever belonging to the people (i.e. not stolen from people).
        
        I get your point. My parents also came from a country where property was taken from the people. Though, I can't see the free market solving homelessness since a free market is defined by competition… and with competition, you'll always have the 'haves' and the 'have nots'.
        
        To be clear, I'm not advocating that we move towards a socialist government. I'm a firm believer that trying to change social structures from what it currently is will more often than not result in disaster (thus why I'm a believer that landlords are required to maintain an adequate % of rentals for renters).
        
        I guess what I'm trying to say is in the perfect world, things will be allocated to you fairly. But in reality, you either work towards gaining those things and make large sacrifices early on in life in order to get there, or fall behind with no guarantee that you'll be taken care of.
      - Jolakot on 27/08/2024 - 00:07
        
        @Mugsy: Why would more rentals in a limited housing market help anyone? If someone who is renting buys an ex-rental, then the supply/demand hasn't changed at all.
        
        Mugsy on 27/08/2024 - 06:57
        
        +1
        
        @Jolakot: You're assuming that population stays the same. If you're in QLD where population is increasing faster than property supply, not maintaining the same % of landlords will result in a vastly lower supply of rentals than what is needed.
        
        I'm not saying we need to increase the % of landlords to abnormal levels. But they're part of the equation now for maintaining a balance of housing options.
  - Bruceflix on 25/08/2024 - 10:40
    
    Pet wee and smells
    
    You have never experienced the damage cat urine can do.
    - Mugsy on 25/08/2024 - 20:16
      
      +5
      
      I use to work for a real estate agency 20yrs ago plugging holes in the admin/sales support/rentals teams depending on where the business needed me. During my time on the rentals team, there were some properties left in horrid states. I experienced what cat urine could do there… and thus one reason why I hate carpet so much, especially if one ever had to lease out their home.
      
      Of course, when one has seen what a meth lab can do to a property, everything else pales in comparison. The amount of remediation required to make the place habitable again is insane.
      - Roman Sandstorm on 28/08/2024 - 15:12
        
        @Mugsy:
        
        when one has seen what a meth lab can do to a property, everything else pales in comparison.
        
        No doubt. But I do feel the problem with piddling cats in rentals is still somewhat greater than that of rampant meth labs. At a guess the potential for cat urine 'incidents' could be in the order of hundreds of thousands of properties. Yet the potential for meth labs would be in the…. single figures? Maybe.
        
        Mugsy on 28/08/2024 - 16:19
        
        @Roman Sandstorm: Definitely not single figures for meth labs. My work gives me insight into such issues and it is higher than that.
        
        Yes, cat piddle occurences is higher but this can be mitigated through smart selection of flooring etc. Your only mitigation against a meth lab is either the right insurance or keeping a spare $50k+ for remediation depending on how bad it is.
JIMB0 on 25/08/2024 - 09:50

+2

So what you're saying is that you're no better at overseeing the property than the previous real estate agent.
Iwantthebestprice on 25/08/2024 - 13:06

+5

If it was a male cat, knockdown and rebuild is the only way.
jugsy on 26/08/2024 - 11:27

Investing is hard! Maybe try lego?
- navshaf on 27/08/2024 - 18:19
  
  +1
  
  Making fun of someones loss is real fun right?
liongalahad on 26/08/2024 - 13:02

-2

for the life of me I don't get how people accept to rent out fully carpeted property to pet owners

I have 2 small dogs and are currently renting (changed state recently) and although they are toilet trained, I would never apply for a fully carpeted place becasue it just takes a few unnoticed accidents (where pee is allowed to dry and sit there for long time) and the carpet is screwed, very hard to get rid of smell thereafter (and especially if the pets are cats…)

Why would you risk that as a home owner, I just dont get it
- JimB on 26/08/2024 - 15:42
  
  +2
  
  Even if the tenants don't have dogs at the start of the tenancy, there's nothing to stop them becoming pet owners after they move in.
  - liongalahad on 26/08/2024 - 22:24
    
    -1
    
    I know but at least there is less of a likehood this would happen.
    Also, in this market, I don't think tenants want to see their lease not renewed and have a negative reference for their next rental application
    - JimB on 27/08/2024 - 11:01
      
      You're correct.
      
      Renters have quite a bit of rights. As a landlord, if the tenant moved in with dogs or cats, it's not easy to evict them on that basis, nor would I.
      
      As a landlord, if the carpet was that old and had cat/dog pee, I'd replace it with vinyl or hybrid flooring in the lounge/living room. Much harder wearing than carpet.
      
      According to the ATO, carpet has an effective lifespan of 8 years. Vinyl or hybrid flooring will pretty much last 3-4 times longer than carpet.
FlyingMiffy on 26/08/2024 - 14:35

+2

Not a big fan of cats. The neighbour has 3 and my cameras have been picking up the visits at night to poo on my lawn. If the poo is any indication, OP probably needs to replace the carpet.
- Pidapipo on 26/08/2024 - 17:32
  
  +2
  
  I think you mean you are not a big fan of irresponsible pet owners.
JimB on 26/08/2024 - 15:44

+2

Unlucky OP.

However, how can you justify increasing the rent after 8 months?
jaimex2 on 26/08/2024 - 16:01

New carpets and instruct the REA to take the bond or take them to NCAT.
- JimB on 27/08/2024 - 11:08
  
  +1
  
  You can't charge the tenant unless you have evidence the carpet is less than 8yo (ATO effective life of carpet).
  - jaimex2 on 27/08/2024 - 17:34
    
    Yep, in her case they are 8 months old and had one tenant during that period.
    - JimB on 28/08/2024 - 11:04
      
      Unless you're psychic, where did the OP mention new carpet?
      - jaimex2 on 28/08/2024 - 14:29
        
        @JimB:
        
        The tenants left and the home had to be renovated which included new kitchen and new carpets throughout. The new tenants moved in and had two cats. After 8 months they moved out
        
        JimB on 28/08/2024 - 15:02
        
        @jaimex2: My bad.. apologies to you.
        
        I suspect the bond has already been refunded.
MarkLucas on 26/08/2024 - 17:18

+1

These must be my ex tenants, send me a PM
turk182 on 26/08/2024 - 17:50

+3

Vinegar works like magic to get rid of smells.. only problem is now it smells like Vinegar
- Jolakot on 27/08/2024 - 00:08
  
  +1
  
  Nail polish remover is like magic for getting rid of the vinegar smell!
  - McFly on 27/08/2024 - 16:55
    
    +1
    
    Fire is like magic for getting rid of nail polish remover!
Guerilla89 on 26/08/2024 - 21:43

+2

I'll never understand why rentals always have carpet… I get that it helps keep your feet warm in cold climates but tenants can just throw a rug in if that's what they are after.
- liongalahad on 26/08/2024 - 22:27
  
  +1
  
  absolutely this. Carpet is the worst. ugly, un-hygienic and impossible to clean properly if your cat decides to piss on it. I can't understand this fascination of aussies for carpet
  - peteru on 26/08/2024 - 23:32
    
    I similarly can not fathom why people would want to share their living quarters with a cat. Yuck!
    - liongalahad on 27/08/2024 - 18:01
      
      +1
      
      Obvioulsy there are a lot of drawbacks that you need to put on balance when deciding to own a pet, and for many people these drawbacks greatly outweigh the benefits. But a pet can add a lot to the owners' life, emotionally. Can help some people to mainitain a certain level of sanity, giving you a purpose you would otherwise struggle to find.
      
      On the other hand, carpet gives you nothing other than dust mites, filth, and adding a depressive look to the place you call home.
rogerwilko on 26/08/2024 - 23:37

-2

Haha you put carpet in a rental. Try vinyl flooring next time. Also stop micromanaging the property, smells should disappear after sometime.
- gromit on 27/08/2024 - 10:53
  
  +1
  
  cat piss smells will not disappear after "sometime", unless you measure that in X years.
haemolysis on 27/08/2024 - 07:49

+1

I want landlords tarred and feathered in the town square as much as the next person, but I will never understand why we have mandatory pet allowance laws now. This kind of damage sucks to deal with and is not trivial. It was perfectly fine before such law and people just… picked homes that allowed pets, whilst homes that were not appropriate said no. I rented with pets and just picked an appropriate home, it was never hard to do. I mean ultimately if you can’t do what has to be done to take care of a pet, well… there’s a simple solution: don’t get one.
- CalmLemons on 27/08/2024 - 18:49
  
  +1
  
  It's all going to accumulate one day to people having no place to rent anymore and these same people won't be able to afford a house to buy because most of the investors have pulled out of the rental market because of situations like this caused by red tape that is constantly applied.
imurgod on 27/08/2024 - 08:20

+1

Use the bond to replace the carpet and rental insurance to claim any other damage.

Have your agent do a better job of vetting potential tenants.
Eeples on 27/08/2024 - 09:24

+1

It’s a risk inherent in this investment vehicle.

Ie. it is a result of using housing as an investment.

If the risk is too much for you then invest in less riskier stuff.
- Mugsy on 27/08/2024 - 10:55
  
  +2
  
  Risks can be managed/mitigated… in this case, don't have carpet in a rental property… vinyl is more durable and less likely to retain smells.
  
  Other tips… for lowering maintenance costs…
  
  for window furnishings, don't go with blinds. The tracks and rotating mechanism will bugger up more than one wants. I personally went with cheap, decor matching curtains from curtain wonderland. Cost me $400-ish for 4 windows including the rods and just expected to spend a few hundred replacing them every 4-5yrs. Ideally, the curtains shouldn't go to the ground… pets can easily pee on them then.
  
  don't have a cabinet for the fridge space… just an open space on the edge of the kitchen if you have open plan. Some tenants will stupidly choose to furnish a small 2brm unit with a wide french door fridge and if the rental market is a bit flat, you may find yourself having to get a carpenter in to pull apart the fridge space just to keep the tenant happy.
  
  stoves: cheap gas stoves often have fragile sparker mechanisms. I had one heavy handed tenant who kept breaking mine every month… and these aren't cheap to fix especially when you have an older model. I know the sparker only needed to be pressed lightly to light the gas as I lived at that unit for 7yrs only having the thing break once when a housemate pressed it too hard (the gasfitter who fixed it the first time said they're delicate things). As for a mitigation strategy, I ended up having to replace the stove after the sparker on the original stove broke for the third time. After it broke 3 times in a row, the property manager didn't see any issue with telling the agent to use a little sparker gun from the supermarkets… but then the tenants needed to use the oven and the little sparker gun wasn't safe for that. The replacement stove took another 2 months to come as we went for one with an electric stove and gas stove top (best of both worlds). The tenant broke the sparker 3 months later and it was their cost to fix given the trend… they may have ignored it and the repair cost taken out of their bond.
  
  bathrooms: namely the airing of them to reduce moisture. Once black mould starts growing on the ceilings, it's very hard to get rid of it, not to mention the treatment is expensive. Many older units won't have extractor fans and ones the electrician can install may not be effective. Having had mould treatment done during my time living at my rental unit, even the mould treatment guys told me to keep the bathroom window open after the shower is used in order to air it properly. The challenging part is taking the property manager and tenants along the journey as many will think that it's unreasonable to sacrifice privacy just to air a bathroom properly. Unfortunately, some tenants don't know about the existence of Exit Mould and seem to want you to spend $400 on mould treatment every 2 months so that they feel they're getting their money's worth. So I ended up having to install a useless extractor fan costing over $1k. It did nothing but at least the property manager was able to put it back on the tenant to pay future mould treatment costs (and I was able to specify the treatment required each time). Long story short… accept the situation, install an extractor fan and let the mould in bathrooms be the tenant's problem.
  
  I could go on all day but there are a lot of risks in housing that should be non-events.
  - JimB on 27/08/2024 - 11:07
    
    "don't have a cabinet for the fridge space… just an open space on the edge of the kitchen if you have open plan. Some tenants will stupidly choose to furnish a small 2brm unit with a wide french door fridge and if the rental market is a bit flat, you may find yourself having to get a carpenter in to pull apart the fridge space just to keep the tenant happy."
    
    I'm overall a very good landlord, but I'll be telling the tenant to get a new fridge or wait for a new tenant.
    
    If it's a dealbreaker to the tenant. I'll buy them a cheap fridge rather than making the space bigger.
    - Mugsy on 27/08/2024 - 11:25
      
      LOL… like you, I'd like to think of myself as a fair landlord as well. But I also told the property manager that it was a ridiculous request and they should be getting a smaller fridge (I thought it was rule 101 of being a renter… make sure one's furniture can fit through doors and hallways… I know I only spent two years formally renting but it seems like common sense).
      
      Unfortunately for me, this was during a tenant's market. Rental prices had actually dropped that year and she was the first applicant in 3 or 4 weeks of advertising so I didn't have much choice. Luckily my property manger had a good carpenter so the work to take it off and put it back on at the end of the tenancy was under $500. If I had the time, I may have looked for a cheap second hand fridge… but mum was going through cancer treatment so my focus was there.
      
      God knows how the tenant got the french door fridge in… the non-french door fridge I have was already a tight squeeze through the front door and hallway.
      - JimB on 27/08/2024 - 17:22
        
        @Mugsy: I suppose 3-4 weeks is a long time and $500 is pretty good.
        
        Anyway you gotta do what you gotta do.
        
        How long that tenant stay there?
        
        Mugsy on 27/08/2024 - 20:06
        
        @JimB: At least 1yr. Most of my tenancies were at least 1yr. A few were 2yrs… not sure I ever had a 3yr one. I had quite a few Indian or Chinese couples who'd have a kid and look for something bigger or had bought so moved out. I got a lot of nurses… I suppose the unit was in reasonable distance to the RBWH.
        
        Anyway, that one tenant who asked for the fridge cabinet to be removed wasn't a problematic tenant overall from memory. I didn't get a traditional real estate agency to manage my rental… I went through one that focused solely on rentals and found they did a pretty good job overall with vetting tenants.
        
        JimB on 28/08/2024 - 09:35
        
        @Mugsy: I think because my rentals are houses they tend to stay longer.
        
        I've had two tenants who moved out less than a year due to changing circumstances but the vast majority of my tenants stay between 3-5 years.
        
        I'm happy for them stay as long as they want as long as they don't cause me too much drama and complain about little things (that people who own their own home wouldn't complain about). I ask for market rent when they move in and then usually increase the rent in the 3rd year (but below market rent). That's probably why they don't move out as it's cheaper than other places.
        
        Mugsy on 28/08/2024 - 09:59
        
        @JimB: That's a good situation to be in. Having to change tenants every year racks up advertising and letting fees.
        
        I'd have liked if some of my tenants stayed longer.
        
        Forgot to mention that the unit was next to commission housing and depending on who the Government put in their property, my tenant may have had a bad experience so wanted to move out. Mind you, I've stepped up to the fight with commission housing every time. Even had all the other owners and I discuss selling our lots to the State for them to use the complex for commission housing but they declined on the offer.
        
        JimB on 28/08/2024 - 11:01
        
        @Mugsy: I think the lost rent is more $$$ than the advertising and letting fees. It all adds up, so I'm happy with lower rent.
        
        Plus, when you get new tenants, you take on more risk of getting a bad tenant.
        
        Sorry to hear about the commission housing next door.
        
        It's unfortunate that a few bad tenants (within commission housing) ruins the whole neighourhood.
        
        I understand the need for commission housing but I'd never buy next door to live (would consider it as a rental if it was significantly cheaper than the median of the suburb).
        
        Mugsy on 28/08/2024 - 11:13
        
        +1
        
        @JimB: Yeah, I learnt the hard way with commission housing. When I bought that unit to live in, most unit prices had skyrocketed above $300k from $240-260k a year before.
        
        This unit was under $300k by a decent amount, had a nice view, was at the back of the block (peaceful), and the commission housing tenant there at the time was a nice elderly gent (you wouldn't have known it was commission housing).
        
        After he moved out, we had commission housing tenants that was under the mental health program… and they shouldn't have been left alone in all honesty. Many of them you would see their mental health deteriorate during the year they were there resulting in more incidents as time went by (and by incidents I'm referring to finding them in the common area naked, or they stay up all night rambling about who they wanted to kill, or they invite people over to party with loud music… though with loud music you can get that from non-commission housing residents too I guess).
        
        Every property I've bought since then, I've gone to the trouble of getting an RP data or Pricefinder report of ownership in the area so I can work out if I am a) next to commission housing, and b) if they're too close for comfort… say, in the same street at the very least.
        
        JimB on 28/08/2024 - 11:15
        
        @Mugsy: How do you use RP data or Pricefinder report of ownership in the area to work out "if I am a) next to commission housing, and b) if they're too close for comfort… say, in the same street at the very least."
        
        Mugsy on 28/08/2024 - 11:27
        
        @JimB: I usually start with Google maps to identify the surrounding streets.
        
        In my case, I did property studies at uni so have a few contacts with access to RP Data or Pricefinder so I'd ask them to pull up an ownership report for each street. If I can't get one through my contacts, it doesn't cost much to order a report myself (well worth the money for ensuring one's sanity).
        
        Properties owned my the QLD State government will show as "The State of Queensland represented by XYZ" where XYZ is a government department. If it's a residential property owned by the state, it's more likely than not for commission housing since they won't own residential for too much else. The other main reason is resumption for a land corridor… which you won't want to be near either. Regional areas may have government employee housing but not really in Brisbane.
        
        JimB on 28/08/2024 - 11:31
        
        @Mugsy: Thanks for sharing. That's pretty detailed. I know you can get property ownership info for one property but didn't know you can get it for the whole street.
        
        Next time I purchase a property (I doubt I'll buy anymore at these prices), I'll knock on the neighours door to ask about the area and housing commission.
        
        Mugsy on 28/08/2024 - 11:58
        
        @JimB: Yeah, it's not a detailed report like an individual property report but its use is simply identifying owners in the street. Very useful for real estate agents to canvas for listings but also useful for buyers as part of their due diligence.
THICKnSLOW on 27/08/2024 - 09:58

Replace the carpet, then use ozone machine for 1 week to kill off whatever remains.
PurchaseAnxiety on 27/08/2024 - 10:29

+1

The cat belonging to the previous owner of our property peed on the carpet right before settlement. The owners solution was to steam clean it, which basically spread the smell across half the house. Imagine our pleasure opening the door to our new home only to be slapped in the face with that stench.

We managed to get the stank under control through a combination of off the shelf pet odour clean-up products and bi-carb soda (plenty of guides around for the bi-carb method. If you can, pull up the carpet and do the same thing to the underlay, and it would have seeped into that as well.
BobCobb on 27/08/2024 - 10:53

Sell, buy ETF.
- Mugsy on 27/08/2024 - 10:57
  
  Not to be confused with NFTs
BigDonny on 27/08/2024 - 10:57

-2

I'm paying record rent prices on this PoS house so if my Pricess Purrfect has a little pee-pee accident here n there so what… you can afford to replace the carpet or whatever boomer
jam-donuts on 27/08/2024 - 12:07

-1

Imagine being a greedy a** landlord that increases rent after 8 months. Your tenants probably paid a fair amount relocating after that as well. I would have left a fat turd on the carpets for you in addition to the catpiss.

You had a fair go at inspecting the property and signed off on the inspection report. Anything from that point on is your liability.
HCBargain on 27/08/2024 - 12:23

You can never get rid of the cat pee smell, burn the place to the ground.
BobCobb on 27/08/2024 - 12:48

-1

I'm proposing a new development.

No pets
Battery powered yard maintenance equipment only.
- BigDonny on 27/08/2024 - 15:12
  
  +1
  
  At once mein Fuhrer!
MrThing on 27/08/2024 - 13:25

+1

urinate on the cat as payback
rogerwilko on 27/08/2024 - 17:27

Do your tenants have a meth lab, apparently meth labs and cat wee smell similar.
Cluster on 27/08/2024 - 17:40

-1

Isn't most carpet sold in squares these days? Rip up the affected squares and replace it. You did buy spare squares, right?

Unless of course the kitty sprayed their liquor all over the house, in which case nuke the site. It's the only way to be sure.
Cluster on 27/08/2024 - 17:46

-1

Activated carbon is supposed to adsorb the smell of cat pee. Maybe try that on a section of carpet and see if it makes a difference.
karenestelle on 27/08/2024 - 19:12

+2

We have been advised by the company that cleaned it that the damage is so bad the carpet needs to be ripped up.thanks fir your suggestion.
- JimB on 28/08/2024 - 11:02
  
  +1
  
  Don't replace with carpet.
  
  Replace with vinyl or hybrid flooring.
marjo on 28/08/2024 - 09:16

https://urinefree.com.au/products/urinefree-2l-refill-househ… you need something like this

I moved into a house where previous owners kept their dogs. Smelled of piss. Had to remove carpets and treat concrete slab as well as it soaked into it, but this product worked well. You probably need to inspect under carpet and treat that too
movieman on 29/08/2024 - 04:24

+1

Hello OP.

Step 1. Buy a UV torch, and mark out the "problem areas" with chalk during the night.

Step 2. Buy whatever product you want and realize that it doesn't really work.

Step 3. Shake baking soda all over the problem areas, and cover with DOUBLE STRENGTH VINEGAR from Coles.

Step 4. The following day, use a commercial grade wet dry vacuum, and sloooowly clean it out.

Yes, it does work, but is very tedious. No more tenants if you have carpet. Period.

Renter's Cats Urinated on New Carpet

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