Two thoughts:
1.Are you 100% sure you can't rip it up? Did you check with the owner? If you cannot rip up the carpet, I would trim off the fraying parts and just deep clean it.

2. Painting the walls in a stairwell has always intimidated me. Currently, my stairway is all scuffed up from moving a box spring. I haven't painted yet because the wall is about 20 feet high in the tallest point and I am stumped. I can't wait to see what other people suggest.

I think I lived in this apartment. Who will be using the stairs? If it is only to serve a bedroom, I'd hang a curtain over the stair opening and be done with it. The stair is definitely not an architectural feature worth showing off.

@HUTCHLN: I know for certain that I cannot. The owner is VERY attached to the house the way it is now and is afraid of major changes like that.

@DUANE: It's actually a house... But I'd rather not have to "seal" off that area because It helps to open up the adjoining room.

Would the owner be OK with you using some wood quarter round that matches the wood on the railings? There should be some kind of moulding to help keep the edge of the carpet down, and that wouldn't impede very far at all into the pathway, plus it would help keep the carpet in better shape over the year. If you're not experienced/confident with it it may take a long time, but it wouldn't be terribly expensive to have a handyman do it.

I would then suggest trimming the carpet and leaving it alone. If you do paint the stairwell, I'd avoid a flat paint. An eggshell or semi-gloss will be easier to maintain - wiping scuff marks and finger prints off.

I am getting ready to tackle painting my stairs as well. Two options.

Buy a Little Giant type Ladder for about $180 and you will be able to paint the stairs.

or

Hang large photos over the scuff marks, no one will know.

As far as the stairs, I would suggest to tear up the carpet and spilt the cost of new carpet or wood stairs.

Ha-- it's funny what seem people get attached to, but I guess I can understand their resistance since it's their rental property. In that case, I guess I would suggest trimming up the edges and a deep clean....

@Adrian Harris: I like the second idea. :)

Magic Eraser...scuffs gone in an instant. I know your pain, I've lived with those same contractor-special stairs. You could do something like try that removable wallpaper to add a little sass to the area...maybe just the bannister wall and the narrow end-wall or something?

Honestly I don't think there's much you can do. Adding edging or trying to distract/hide the current condition is probably going to draw more attention. I'd just get the carpet cleaned very well and apply a fresh coat of bright white paint. No, it's not going to look great, but since it's a rental and your options are limited, I think the best thing to do is just try to make what's already there look as clean as possible. If you do that, the worst thing the stairs will be is bland. They're not hugely offensive or anything.

I'm with @BarbieQ with the Magic Eraser. Perhaps find a runner that could work for part of the stairs (although that angle make it very weird)? Could the owner spring for the deep clean, since it is his/her property to save you some costs?

It's bizarre to me that the owners would be attached to old carpet. If they won't replace it, a deep cleaning is your best bet. Painting the walls will go a long way to making the carpet look better. Just don't pick a color with a yellow or brown base - it'll make the carpet look more dingy.

Can people tell me what you would do after ripping up carpet from stairs? There is almost certainly only plywood under the stairs... would you just paint the plywood? It's not exactly quality material... what are some other options?

i agree with potterychick ... am thinking the landlord should have cleaned the carpet and repainted before you moved in. i'd ask the landlord to take the cost of cleaning and painting off your rent (and i'd clean it, too, even if the landlord had cleaned it. just because.)

don't have any suggestions about edging because i don't have carpet, but hope you get lots of workable ideas that can help you love your new place. the only thing i can suggest would be to put some of your favorite art and photos on the stairway walls to brighten it up, give you something to look at that you do love.

best wishes!

kathy

@ANNVEAL, you are right about the plywood. I would re-carpet because putting in a hardwood stair is crazy expensive.

If you can have carpet cleaners out, do it. It's usually around $120 to do a small house, and it is totally worth it, the carpets will look like new. You can try to get the landlord to pay for it, but if they won't I would clean the carpet anyway.

The Magic Eraser suggestion for the walls is good, but a fresh coat of paint will probably look better. With that carpet, I would avoid pure white. I would go with a paint that has a taupey undertone (rosey-brown) like Benjamin Moore Sand Dollar or Cloudy Day.

I would not put up any gallery photos or extensive art, but I would consider putting 2 medium sized pieces (16wx22h range) on the landing halfway up. One on each wall in the corner. That way, the eye has a place to go that is not the carpet or walls.

If you can't cover up what you dislike, minimize faults by drawing your eyes upward to something you enjoy. After doing what you can with the carpet and paint, I'm with those who suggest hanging pictures up the stairwell . Or maybe you can make a wall decal work?

@PARNASSUS, I like the art idea. How about a mobile hung in the stairwell to draw the eyes up? We did this in our old place and it looked great.

@DUANE HILL: that was what I was thinking too, because a standard hardwood staircase can easily cost upwards of ten grand... not something that you would want to do with a rental unit. Plus, putting in a new staircase is a nightmare in logistics, as you would literally have to rip the entire structure out and replace it with another entire staircase... again, not something the typical renter would want to do

in rental apartments I have drawn a line at almost my uppermost comfortable painting level and repainted up from the floor to that point. This usually covers the scuffed areas. then I paint a second color as a border. after that just clean the upper walls and hang art. If you are handy you can even add trim molding framing the border color. the carpet is an issue that would be quite expensive to tackle, would your landlord credit the rent if you had it replaced?

One thing you can do it "throw off" the eye with a stair runner carpet. Then the eye sees the new and not so much of the old. Besides any friends/family that come over are going to know that you are renting and you would do things dif. in your own house. Here is just one example, but there are many more. Also the picture idea is fab! Draw the eye up as much as possible 25' Stair Runner Carpet Rug - Marash Luxury Collection
Item condition: New with tags
Time left: 19 days 23 hours (Aug 12, 2012 08:03:32 AM PDT)
Quantity: More than 10 available
Price: US $70.00 Buy It NowBuy It NowBuy It Now

.

I would also be curious as to what you would do if you ripped up the carpet. Paint? Wood? New carpet? Do you really want to invest that much in a rental? I would just give the carpet a good steam clean and save your money for when you're in your own place

Agree - you should do something, or you will spend the whole time in the house wishing you had. With masking tape on the carpet following the profile of the of the treads and risers paint the walls in whatever colour you can get away with, if you must match the existing wall colour then OK, if you don't have to and wan to keep painting to a minimum, then with masking tape again strike a line down the wall and paint the triangular section of the wall. Then shop around for some good quality vinyl/leather or coloured duck/duct tape and apply to the carpet edge horizontally on the treads and vertically on the risers. Choose a colour you like but be as bold as you can, I believe if you are trying to hide something make it stand out (sounds ridiculous I know) Whatever you do don't 'curtain it off' or you'll lose all the volume of the stairway and I'm guessing space in in short supply.

Often times if you get a couple of quotes then you can talk to your landlord about possibly paying for it yourself in lieu of rent. Provided, of course, you get permission for the arrangement and for the carpet/paint choice.

@LIPJON: Yeah, we kind of had a thought about using some kind of tape as a faux-molding to hid those edges that meet the wall.

I think the carpet is old and has been cleaned several times ( not recently though ) and they couldn't get very close to the wall, so that narrow strip is much darker than the rest of the carpet.

I am definitely going to re-paint the the walls. I used the Magic Eraser, but it wasn't doing anything on most the the tougher scuffs.

Does anyone have any advice on dealing with a landlord that seems particularly stubborn about changes and how to go about asking for things like painting and cleaning carpets?

Make it easy for him to say yes. Do all the legwork yourself. Get quotes, narrow it down to a few options that he can choose from, and ask if you can deduct the cost (or a portion of it) from your rent. Offer to extend your lease a year if you think you'd want to stay. Make it worth his while. I'd be surprised if you did all this and he still said no.

A rental should have the walls painted and carpet cleaned by the landlord before you move in.

Excellent and most realistic suggestions...mainly...draw the eye upward..whatever soft and creamy taupe, perhaps, or a dark sand color..will look great...perhaps glossy white frames of black and white photo's..will really draw the eye upward and that's what people will see....just make sure it always smells fresh at least...the carpet..trim the rug..yard sale frames you spray paint yourself..black and white film throw a way camera's...enlarge your photo's..so inexpensive and your own..unspendy..Your landlord is just cheap...and he LOVES his faded 1980's borders around the rooms.arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..who knew..I've not unpacked much..; )

Ditto to PATRICK (THE OTHER ONE), though since you didn't have the painting/cleaning taken care of before moving in, I think you may be out of luck on that now. I think pre-move-in painting and cleaning are actually for the landlord's benefit. They want to start from square one so they can see what stains and damage were caused by you when you move out. If this landlord didn't care enough to protect himself in that way, he may not care enough to update it just for your comfort.

In which case, ditto to TEQUILA RED. Make it super easy for him and also emphasize the money he can save. If he'll provide paint (or you can give him a receipt and deduct it), you're happy to provide the labor for free. Look for deals on carpet installation and provide him with samples. Since seeing exactly what you're saving can be a huge motivator for some people (think of Groupon), make sure you show him the regular price and the price you found for him in writing. The idea of saving on it might convince him it's worth doing now instead of down the road.

baskets or stacks of books up the stairs, along the edge. super cheap, super easy, will distract from the ugly.

I agree with the runner and hanging pictures idea. Pick a "stairwell" theme for the pictures. Two other things you could do that would perk up this space and keep everyone looking at them instead of the bad carpeting is: 1) Paint the banister -- pick up a color from the runner you are going to be using and 2) Place a nice vertical sculpture or vase in the corner of the oddly shaped step where the stairs "turn." That gets you focused on a color scheme for the stairway.

I'm sort of surprised no-one's mentiones lighting yet. A stark bulb or too bright can really make every stain visible. Instead of a ceiling lamp you could do a couple of smaller soft-tone lights on the wall going up the stairs. Has the light going up instead of down and still not too dark. An I would definitely paint the walls.

Just flat out, bluntly ask them. And you will get an answer. I am so very sick of crappy landlords that take so much advantage of renters because frankly we dont have a choice.

Wither way you will find out what kind of person you are dealing with. I have a hunch you already know though as this wasnt done before you moved in and should have been.

Either*

I second using quarter round to edge the carpet at the wall. And a coat of paint on the walls.