Cat wee in carpet what can I do?

[keg75]

Hi

I am assisting with a rental of my parents. They are having issues with the agent not helping them as much as they do the tenants.

The lease was up on the 22nd of feb.

The agent agreed with the tenants that they could go in after the lease is up to clean up issues which weren't fixed prior to them leaving the tenancy. They were told to pick up the keys the following friday so thats 1 week of rent that has been lost. Is this the norm? The owners disputed this as they perceived a potential fo malicious damage or squatting etc. I'm of the opinion they should pay rent until such a time as they resolve the maintenance issues.

There are 3 things outstanding with the property. The major item is in one room of the house there is a very bad smell that is believed to be a cat wee smell. If it's not cat wee then it's chemical smell from over cleaning aparently no other rooms smell the same.. The tenants have cleaned it once before leaving and have cleaned it a second time (yesterday) and it still smells.

There was a clause in the tenancy that said that there was no cats allowed in case they urinated inside - as it is hard to remove once they peed. The agent didn't breech the tenant so doubt if we can get the cat bond or any other bond to replace the carpet.

So what can I do about the carpet can I request funds to replace the carpet? it is now 3 weeks since they left the property so thats 3 weeks lost rent at 470 pw, so the issue needs to be resolved.

The other issues are an antenna that was put in the wrong room, and dodgy sprinkler. the aerial is supposedly going to be installed in correct position but i'm not sure if that leaves the old point not connected or left as a hole in the wall. The sprinkler i suspect we will be reimburdsed for as it's a minor issue.

Both the antenna and retic - we can fix if we receive funds for.

should I discuss with the insurance?

please assist ASAP as I'm not sure of what my position is really.

thanks keg75

 

[Propertunity]

keg75 if it is as you say, then you will have to:
1. Sort it out with your agent - i.e. get them to pay
2. If they will not, then take your agent to the Tenanct Tribunal in your state to get an order against them
3. Change agents - while you are doing this they will not feel kindly towards you

I doubt insurance will cover negligence by your agent.

 

[Andrew_A]

I have found with smells in carpet that you might need to rip up the carpet, remove the underlay and even get into the concrete!? with bleach to remove the smell if it's a tough one, amazing how they can linger.

 

[Propertunity]

I was in a terrace house yesterday in Chippendale, where the previous tenant had cats and knee high garbage all through the house (according to the agent).

Carpet & underlay now gone. Floor boards all sanded. Still stank of cat pee

 

[wylie]

I would (in Queensland) lodge a claim for some or all of the bond to cover re-carpeting of the room that has been cleaned twice and whatever other costs are to fix the problems.

Let them dispute your claim and take you to the tribunal. You may win, you may lose, but in the meantime get a new tenant in.

The carpet can be replaced with a new tenant in the house. I would not sack the PM (if you intend to do so) until this is sorted out.

 

[SeaShell1]

Firstly you need to get a carpet cleaning company out that specialises in urine damage. A urine meter is used to test the carpet and it is easy to find and identify.

Treatment will need to follow which is not just a matter of cleaning the area, in fact cleaning will activate the urine again as it will when it gets damp or humid.

The carpet will need to be lifted in the affected areas then a course of chemicals used combined with extraction and reapplication.

Treatment can be quite expensive as it is time consuming and the chemicals are expensive, it takes three days to complete and the property must be vacant.

Sometimes it might be better to get rid of the carpet, depends how many areas are affected. I have only seen two carpeta that had to be pulled up and the treatment has worked on the rest. Anyway get a report done, which of course there is a charge for (amazed how many think this will be done for free). People will give all home remedy advice and I can tell you it will not work, cat urine is the worst and male cat urine can take 30 years to break down.

Also if the tenant had a cat they have to have the property sprayed for fleas, the eggs will hatch roughly two weeks after the animal is removed.

 

[blackrose]

Hi SeaShell1
Sounds like you might be in the trade, do you know anyone in Perth that does the type of work you are describing.
Or does any one else
Thanks

 

[Pecan]

Keg, from memory when I last had a catty carpet, we ripped out the carpet (faster and easier than any other solution,as the house is vacant and staying vacant all the time you do this and no rent in your pocket), then scrubbed floor with bleach solution, sealed with a primer type of stuff, then new carpet. Huge improvement.
You willbe able to charge the tenants, the magistrate may only give you half the cost if the carpet was not new to start with but if you charge them the fullcost then that leaves room for negotiating.
Change pm asap, sounds as if they will just **** around and leave the hosue vacant ....

 

[wylie]

Another option is to rip it out, claim the whole bond, let them dispute it, and have the floors polished.

No more carpet issues.... ever.

 

[SeaShell1]

Hi SeaShell1
Sounds like you might be in the trade, do you know anyone in Perth that does the type of work you are describing.
Or does any one else
Thanks

Sorry no contacts in Perth...good luck.

 

[lura]

Faster and easier to rip the carpet up.

Urine smell will resurface and just annoy future tenants.

 

[keg75]

Well the property manager had the carpets cleaned. The rooms smelt okay the first time (ie no chemical smell) aparently.

The smell was still present but not as strong.

The landlord complained about the smell - agent adament that the smell not
cat pee - but cleaned the floor again. The latest statement landlord appeared different but there's no proof as the landlord didn't have the previous version.

The carpets that were once soft are now hard (like a starched shirt) they smell heavily of whatever they used on the carpet and the cat wee smell is
still present as of yesterday. I have smelt the carpet and there was a dull smell 2 days after the 2nd clean - 2 days later carpets damp under foot.

The landlord is looking to sueing the property manager as a result. For damage to the carpet and various other issues.

I'm wondering if the insurance will cover damage to the carpet through neglect of the pm in allowing the carpet. The cost for the single room would be 700 the whole house would be 4500.

thanks keg75.

P.s. I'm sooo much wanting to say the name of the property manager but am fearful there would be retribution for slander..... grrr...

 

[RedCat]

I have a very sick cat who is going a little crazy and isn't likely to last the rest of the year. Vet suggested using a kitty litter tray on each floor he frequents, but he still occassionally rebels and poos on the carpet. I found a special cleaner at the pet store - cost about $30. I can't remember the name of it but it was in a clearish bottle with blue text.

You need to pour a good amount of the liquid on the stain (works for poo and wee) and it's meant to sink right in underneath to absorb any stains. I only tried it on poo but I can see it would be affective for urine also, provided you can locate the problem area

 

[travelbug]

Goggle "urine in carpet" there are hundreds of different solutions.
I know Shannon Lush had a good one but can't find it. She used a fluro light?? to show where the stains were.

 

[Medine]

I'm with RedCat. A good pet store will have a few options. I've had success with one that I can't remember the name of - maybe ABC....
Anyway, worth a crack before you pull up the carpet. From memory the effect was immediate.
Cheers, Medine