apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

It has been my experience, at least in KC, that they will push the option when touring the appt. if it is actually an option. Everyone else told me to get lost when I asked.

Ha. My landlord flatly said "No." when I suggested my installing new floor as an offset to the deposit or any other sort of negotiation. The unit is covered in faux wood vinyl tiles which offends my sensibilities to no end.
My solution was to invest in FLOR tiles. At the very least my investment is protected as I'll take it when I move.

mine said NO too. so i just bought a bunch of rugs.

Sometimes, carpet is mandated as a noise control, so check on that. That's my situation unfortunately, because my landlord would probably go for it otherwise.

I have two friends (with different landlords) who just asked if they could pull up the carpets (both had nice hardwood under). In both cases the landlord agreed, and one of them actually got reimbursed with some money. So it's definitely worth asking.

my lease requires a rug. it doesn't say how many or specify the size though. the hardwoods are quite worn and in spot a board sinks and a chunk of it swept up with a broom as soon as i moved in.

My landlord (manager actually) told me that in the upper units they dont want hardwood beacuse of the noisebuffering of the carpet.
I have been living in my apt for 9 yrs and i took it as it was (thus no carpet change but only steam clean whan i moved in) and now i would love to have it change but sincerely i dont feel like paying for it or forfetting my deposit.
Bottom line, im keeping the carpet and try to get out of there ASAP.

The condos I moved into were tiled all throughout, except for the bedroom. I should make a gift of a bunch of area rugs for my heavy-footed, hard-sole loving upstairs neighbor, though ...

Ha! Negotiate with a landlord! That will be the day!

I know, there are always exceptions to the rule.

But that is a very, very good point regarding carpeting. A landlord does not want tenants calling all time complaining about noisy neighbors. Carpeting eliminates a huge amount of noise in multi-unit dwellings. In fact, some cities have ordinances regarding the type of coverage on floors in multi-unit dwellings.

I always wondered why so many high rises had carpeting in them. Then I realized it wasn't for aesthetic purposes. Once those high rises convert from rental to condo though, owners will be tearing out carpeting and replacing with hardwood or hardwood laminate. Then, there will be more noise complaints.

Some friends of mine live in a multi million dollar condo and one night they were invited to a party downstairs from them. The drunk hostess greeted them with adhesive felt feet. She asked them if they wouldn't mind putting them underneath their island stools!

If you have neighbors below you, I wouldn't make the change. If you are on the first floor, or have a garage below you, or no downstairs neighbors, I'd propose it.

I'd start with just requesting what you want, and then throw in whatever concessions you are willing to make (such as you will do the installation, or you will contribute $, etc) as bargaining chips as needed. B/c what if they just accept your proposal outright?

Real estate investors have one thing in mind, cash flow...and rightfully so. If there is a glut of rental properties on the market and they are slow to rent, you may be able to negotiate the upgrade. It's important for you to show the upside for them. Ultimately though, it depends on whether or not you're willing to walk.

Their time is as important as the dollar for dollar expense of the upgrade. If you walk, they have to list the property for rent , have it cleaned, show it to prospective renters and eat the expenses while it sits vacant. If you can demonstrate that the cost (both time and money) of the flooring is minute compared to the cost of losing you, you're on your way to new flooring. You may also note to your landlord that you do keep good care of the property and pay your rent on time but they're rolling the dice with new renters.

Good luck!

As a landlord (with only one unit) I am open to suggestions about improvements to the space. Especially if the tennant agrees to offset a portion of the costs/ sign a longer lease/ do the install themselves (but only if experienced and meticulous).

Since I only have the one unit though, I can't speak for landlords that have a large number of units or multi-story buildings in which noise may be an issue. The only person I have to worry about being bothered by the noise is myself.

If you put a layer of foam or insulation under the pergo it shouldn't really be noisier. This is generally recommended.

Definitely situational. I had a landlord who agreed to let me change from carpet to laminate - he paid for the materials and I installed it.

My landlord once mentioned that it was about $1K to replace the carpet in our units. At a later date, when discussing renewing my lease, I asked him if he would be willing to switch out the carpet which even he admitted was disgusting - and probably installed in the 80's. He said for an additional $100/month he would replace it. Hmmmm - 12 month lease = $1200 more. Call me crazy - but that just didn't seem right.

He was also the guy that later increased my rent over 25% after telling me - "don't worry - it won't be much." Needless to say I moved out.

That being said - it can't hurt to ask.

My suggestion would be to bring it up as soon as possible with your landlord when your lease is up for renewal. If you are willing to pay for the supplies or the labor, that will make it a lot easier.

When we first looked at our current apt it had pumkin wall to wall carpeting. My husband, who builds sets and knows all this handy stuff, offered to tear it out and refinish the wood floors before moving in. The landlord was open to it and since he didn't have to pay anything he let us have the apt 2 weeks early in exchange for the work. When the unit nextdoor opened up, he even ended up bringing prospective tenants over to show how nice the floors would look if they wanted to rip out the carpet too. lol

I have rented a lot of apartments in my life, and in my experience, there are two kinds of landlords: the kind who think they can replace you in 5 seconds and for $100s more per month (whether or not they are right) and the kind who are relieved/thrilled to have a quiet clean non-criminal who is there for a few years. The latter kind MIGHT do it. If that sounds like your ll, go for it. Definitely the multi-year thing would be an asset for them.

My upstairs neighbor, who is also my landlord, has lead feet. I shudder to think what it would be like if her apartment weren't carpeted.

That being said. I loathe having carpeting myself.

I couldn't live in a apartment with carpet anyway, I am allergic to the dust!

I agree with elkirkley- bring it up either before signing the lease or around the time of renewal.

My own gorgeous hardwood floors are scratched and appear to once have been refinished but not with poly. Before I moved in, I asked my landlord if she would refinish the floors and/or replace the vinyl in the tiny bathroom with tiles and she said she had been planning to do that for a while but well (i.e, natural rather than poly). I'm definitely planning on asking again when my lease is up.

I live in a second floor apartment with carpeted wood floors. About 2 years into my time in the apartment, I asked the landlord if I could remove the boring beige apartment carpet and have the hardwood floors refinished. I agreed to pay for all refinishing costs and he agreed to cover the replacement of any extensively damaged floor planks. I allowed the landlord to pick the flooring company to do the work. I was not allowed to remove the bedroom carpet (sound reasons). I have lived in the apartment for 11 years since, and the floors still look great. Worth every penny.

There are a couple of things you might want to consider - once you sink money into cosmetic improvements, a landlord can RAISE your rent based on those improvements even if he/she didn't pay for them. The exception is if your rent is still set by lease, or if your unit falls under LA rent stabilization. You can imagine the temptation a landlord might feel seeing your beautiful new floors and realizing they might be able to charge hundreds more for the unit now...if only you were gone.

Save your money and find a new rental.

Ask and check out local regulations, but DO NOT put up any $. If you live in LA, you're already paying enough in rent.

RichardinLA - nice work! Your situation sounds great, but I think it's the exception rather than the rule.

I'm still fighting with my landlord (to the point of legal action) over gas leaks. I hate my crappy carpet but I can't even imagine the headache of dealing with optional improvements...

I have the world's cheapest landlord...but I have lived in my apt. for a long time and when the kitchen cabinets started crumbling (they were pressed wood from the '70s) I decided to negotiate. It wasn't all that tense actually ... he covered 2/3s of the new kitchen cabinets and countertops. I covered 1/3 and negotiated a new lease with an increase consistent with historical increases at the same time to make sure he didn't try to recoup his portion in my lease the next year.

Talk to your landlord. If you care for your apartment AT style, and you're planning to stay in your place for a few years or more, you should be able to work something out.

Truthfully, the reason so many landlords are jerks is that most tenants are not that great. Legally, your landlord can't discriminate when renting out units, so s/he has to assume you are renting because you possess none of the qualities of a homeowner. Prove that you are reliable (pay your rent) and attentive (call when you notice a problem) and a good neighbor, and you should be able to negotiate any reasonable improvement you want.

We ripped out the carpet and refinished the hardwood floors without consulting the landlord. We will happily forfeit our deposit instead of living with carpet.

right angle's landlord will probably not remember there had been carpeting if the refinishing job ended up looking really good.

Why not? I would love to have a tenant who willing to renovate my garden floor apartment which I'm planning to rent.

I'm lucky enough to have a rad landlord who has listened to every suggestion I've made since living in my apt for only one year...I've had the concrete front yard ripped out and sod put in, a fence built, a new air conditioner installed, motion lights installed, plus...she hasn't minded that I've wallpapered, painted, and taken doors off...

I know that the majority of landlords are horrible to deal with, but I've found that sucking up and proving that you have good taste go a long way.

RichardinLA brings up a point I had wondered if it was just my neighbourhood or universal, so clearly it happens in more places than here. Half of our flat has original midcentury parquet that is still in good condition. The other half has dreadful mid80s carpeting that needs to go. We have steam cleaned it several times (to the point that we bought a steam cleaner rather than having to keep renting one!) and it is still full of allergens -- my other half took three weeks to stop sneezing if he was in one of the carpeted rooms, and it breaks my hands and feet out in a rash. We got a quote for installing new wood floors in place of the carpet and if we knew we would be here two more years, it would be worth it...but the trend in our neighbourhood is for landlords to agree to the tenant paying for the improvements only to magically decide not to renew the lease, then put it on the market for way more money as soon as our contract ends. And because we deal with a property agency rather than directly talking to the landlord, I'm sure they would encourage this as they get a percentage of the rent. The frustration!

The carpet has one edge loose in the master bedroom and I was tempted to just roll it up, put down a different floor then put the carpet back when we left...but in twelve years of renting, this is the first place that has taken up the fine print of the contract with 'visiting the property to ensure proper care'. They come quarterly without fail. Shame, since it is a nice flat that could be a fabulous flat if it didn't make half our guests sneeze!

I rented for years and never understood why landlords were always such jerks when I asked to be reimbursed for paint (always white and beige) or for the cost of lasting improvements I couldn’t take with me (like sanding and varnishing the wood floors). Then, I became a landlord (a small cottage) and discovered what the other side of the equation was like. Tenants drift in and out, don’t pay their rent, piss off the neighbors, and make “improvements” that I have to spend time and money undoing… So now I too am reluctant to agree to changes. However, good long-term renters who have proven themselves can sway me.

...taste completely goes a long way--try repainting your kitchen cabinets in a high-gloss black! But it just looked so great, my landLADY was thrilled.

And here in Toronto, at least, generally floating floors are permitted.

I have been living in my apt for 9 yrs and i took it as it was (thus no carpet change but only steam clean whan i moved in) and now i would love to have it change but sincerely i dont feel like paying for it or forfetting my deposit.

If you're in LA, check with the city housing department. The rules on what a landlord is and isn't allowed to do are fairly strict, and Code Enforcement really doesn't want tenants getting screwed. (Personal experience: my LA landlord did things like leave a hole in my ceiling for 3 months after a leak in the upstairs apartment damaged it. It took calling Code Enforcement to get it fixed at all, and they were *very* helpful.)

Also, if your landlord is a decent sort, they may be able to move you to a different apartment when your lease is up, so they can repair things like the carpet. My landlord knows what renovations are like, and won't do them in inhabited apartments. She's *more* than happy to keep a good tenant by moving them to a better condition apartment while their original one gets maintenance.

I'm in Glendale and I love my 4-plex - except for the carpet. Im on the 2nd floor and I want to ask my landLADY if I can rip out the carpet, but i haven't yet. My last place was a cracker box "craphole" apartment in which you could literally hear every movement of the person in the neighboring apartments - and we all had pergo flooring. My new apartment is way better (except for the windows) so why wouldn't wood be ok?
I will bring it up this summer for my lease renewal. I peaked under the carpet and I saw white painted floor board. I wonder if maybe the wood is under this? The apt is pre 1950s for sure.

I actually work for a property management company and our stance is that, depending on the age of the carpet in the property and how long a tenant has been there we will go to bat for our tenants with the owners of the properties. The other thing to know is that most carpet has a useful life of 5 years so if your carpet is older than that I would mention it to your landlord. Also, if you're renting in an individually owned condo, I would point out to the owner how much the property value goes up when laminate, hardwood or tile are put into a property. The last option is, if you really can't deal with the carpet you have, you can replace it yourself, at your own cost. Of course this would be considered a permanent fixture and you wouldn't be reimbursed for it in most cases. Just my 2 cents, but I would always suggest checking your local ordinances and such.

A few years ago one of my neighbors at his cost put in pergo floors. the owner liked it so much that now all the newly vacated units i are being upgraded to pergo. but he won't change the flooring of occupied apartments. however, if i want to do it at my cost he'll magnanimously relent.

On a related note: i've lived here so long that my manager doesn't even remember what this place looked like before i moved. so when i re-tiled the 2nd bath and installed a full shower (it originally only had a tub,) she never noticed. she thinks it's original to the apartment.