Charging For Carpet Replacement

[nomorerenting]

We recently moved out of an apartment complex at the end of June after living there for 4 years. At the time, the carpet was not new. We made the mistake of not cleaning the dining room carpet well when we moved out (time constraints) so there were some stains leftover that any professional carpet cleaning company would have been able to get out. We didn't think too much of it because no one rents out an apartment without shampooing it. However, 2 weeks after moving out, we received a bill of $300 for carpet replacement due to burns and stains. We called them the day that we received the bill to schedule a walkthrough so that they could show us the area in question and they said that it was too late in the day. They did not call us back the next day so the following day, we called them again. They said that they had already cut out the carpet and that we could come look at that. We asked them if they had tried to clean it and their response was that they didn't because it looked ground in. The staff member even admitted that he wasn't sure if it was a burn mark but that it looked ground in. Were they obligated to try to clean it before replacing it? If we are responsible, it also seems that $300 for a 10' x 11' area is very excessive. I think they are trying to use this opportunity to have us pay for carpet that is clearly in need of replacement. Thanks.

[seniorjudge]

Q: Were they obligated to try to clean it before replacing it?

A: It doesn't make any difference since you have absolutely no evidence as to what shape the carpeting was in when you left.

[aaron]

Even if the damage you caused necessitated replacement, your liability should be fore the depreciated value of the carpet, not full replacement value. Of course, I don't know whether you were charged full replacement value or only part of that cost.