Usually only if the carpet damage goes beyond normal wear and tear. Routine cleaning between tenants is typically the landlord’s cost, not yours.
Most states draw a hard line between "normal wear and tear" (the landlord’s responsibility) and actual damage (yours). Faded traffic paths, minor matting, and general aging are normal wear — a landlord generally cannot deduct routine carpet cleaning from your deposit for those. But stains, burns, pet damage, or tears can be charged. Check your lease and your state’s security-deposit statute, and always ask for an itemized deduction list.
Routine cleaning to freshen a carpet for the next tenant is generally considered normal turnover cost. Cleaning required because of stains, pet damage, or odors beyond normal use can often be charged.
Many states use the carpet’s useful life (often 5–10 years) to prorate any damage charge — a landlord usually can’t bill you full replacement cost for a carpet that was already years old.
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