My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: Pennsylvania

My roommate and I lived in a fully carpeted apartment for two years. The carpets were new or close to them when we moved in. When we moved out the carpets were no longer new. I feel the damage falls under normal where and tear, the landlord disagrees. There were no burns, rips, or obnoxious stains just discoloring and depression (weren't as fluffy etc) in the more trafficked area. Unfortunately we did not take pictures. The lease states that we are to pay for the carpets to be professionally cleaned, taken out of our security deposit. The list of charges, dated 18 days after move out, did not include this charge. They say they replaced the carpets 32 days after move out, just 4 days after we received our certified mail charges list and spoke to him disputing the charge, asking for pictures. Today the pictures arrived, very very low resolution on normal computer paper, 60 days since move out. Also, the replacement carpets have a lifetime guarantee against stains as long as they are professionally cleaned every 18 months. I don't know for sure that the carpets that I lived on had the same warranty but if they did does it matter? Can I use the landlord's negligence of the warranty against him?

So here's the summary
  • Lived two years on like new carpets
  • Moved out on May 31 and the carpets I felt fell under wear and tear
  • I have no pictures explicitly of the carpet
  • Received notice on June 28th with a letter dated June 18th with the charges containing carpet replacement $1200
  • We verbally disputed the charge and asked for pictures
  • Received pictures on July 29th. Pictures were very low quality and hard to see anything.
  • Pictures included a notice that the carpet had been replaced on July 2nd, and that were to pay what we owe (Charges - Deposit) by July 31st.
  • We called and verbally disputed again.
  • Our lease stated that the carpets were to be professionally cleaned upon move out, paid by us. There was no mention of charge for this cleaning.
  • The old carpets may have had a lifetime warranty if they were professionally cleaned every 18 months.


Do I have any grounds for disagreement?