12/07/2025
I opened this letter expecting the usual âthanks for renting with usâ type of closure, maybe a partial refund at worst. Instead, Iâm greeted with a full breakdown of charges that reads like my landlord personally renovated the entire apartment on my dime. And right there in bold is the most ridiculous one of all: carpet replacement, as if I absolutely destroyed it beyond repair.
The thing is⌠I didnât. I didnât host wild parties, I didnât own a pet chewing through the floor, I didnât spill paint or bleach or drag furniture around like a maniac. The carpet looked the same when I left as it did when I moved in, minus normal wear from, you know, living. Apparently, simply existing in an apartment long enough is now grounds for replacing the entire floor and billing the tenant for it.
What really pushed me over the edge was seeing how they casually tacked it on, like itâs just an obvious expense I should happily accept. No photos. No proof. Just âcarpet replacementâ slapped onto the bill as if I personally took scissors to it out of spite. Somehow my security deposit wasnât enough either, so now they want over $2,000 on top of it. At this point, it feels less like a cleaning fee and more like my landlord saw an opportunity to refresh the unit for the next tenant and decided I should fund the upgrade.
