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Property ManagementBond ManagementHARD

A tenant has vacated leaving serious pet stains on the carpet that were not disclosed during the tenancy. The carpet was 3 years old when the tenancy began and is now 5 years old. How should the bond claim be calculated?

Correct Answer

C) Claim the replacement cost reduced for depreciation over the carpet's remaining useful life.

When claiming for damage beyond normal wear and tear, tribunals consider the age and condition of items at the start of tenancy. Even with undisclosed pet damage, the claim must account for depreciation and the carpet's remaining useful life, requiring a proportional reduction in the claim amount.

Answer Options
A
Claim the full replacement cost, because the damage was not disclosed.
B
Make no claim, because a carpet five years old is treated as fully depreciated in every case
C
Claim the replacement cost reduced for depreciation over the carpet's remaining useful life.
D
Claim cleaning costs only, since replacement is never recoverable from a bond.

Why This Is the Correct Answer

The tenant is liable for damage beyond fair wear and tear, but only for the landlord's actual loss. Tribunals reduce the replacement cost to reflect how much of the carpet's useful life had already been used.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

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Related Topics & Key Terms

Key Terms:

bond claimsdepreciationfair wear and tearproportional reductionuseful life
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