A carpet condition record is only worth anything if it lets somebody who was not there compare the start and the end. "Carpet: good" on an incoming inspection and "carpet: dirty" on the outgoing one proves nothing, because neither is a measurement and no adjudicator can tell what changed. What works is dated photographs of the same angles at both ends, plus specific written notes. It takes ten minutes at the incoming inspection and it is the difference between a defensible deduction and a lost dispute.
This describes general practice. It is not legal advice, and specific disputes belong with an attorney or the Rental Housing Tribunal, see what landlords can actually deduct.
Why tick-boxes fail
The standard incoming inspection sheet has a row for each room and a column saying good, fair or poor. Three years later the outgoing sheet has the same rows.
That comparison is worthless in a dispute, for a simple reason: "good" is an opinion held by a person who is no longer available, about a carpet nobody photographed, using a scale with no definition. A tribunal cannot adjudicate the difference between one person's "good" and another's "fair".
The burden sits on whoever claims the deduction. So an agent with tick-boxes is asking to be believed, and an agent with dated photographs is asking to be looked at. Those are very different positions.
The photograph protocol
This is the whole method and it is not complicated.
Same angles, both ends. The point is comparison, so the outgoing photographs must replicate the incoming ones. Stand in the same corner, shoot the same view. If they do not match, you have two unrelated pictures rather than a comparison.
Shoot the traffic lanes specifically, not just a wide shot of a room. Wide shots flatter carpet enormously and hide exactly what disputes are about, see why lanes are where the change happens.
Shoot the edges and corners, which is where urine goes and where filtration soiling shows, see filtration soiling. Those dark lines along skirtings are not tenant damage and you do not want to be arguing about them later.
Photograph existing marks at the incoming inspection. This is the step everybody skips and it protects both parties. A mark you did not record is a mark you cannot prove the tenant made.
Consistent light. Carpet photographs differently at different times of day and under different lights. Curtains open, main light on, same both times.
Include something for scale next to any specific mark.
Check the date stamp is on and correct. An undated photograph proves nothing about when.
What to write down as well
Photographs show appearance. They do not show smell, texture or what is under the furniture, so the notes carry what the camera cannot.
- Odour, explicitly, room by room. "No detectable odour" at the incoming inspection is a genuinely useful record, and it is the only defence against a later claim that the property always smelled. Note the weather and time of day, since warmth reactivates odour, see why inspection timing matters for urine.
- Carpet age, if known. This matters more than agents realise, because a deduction is limited by remaining service life rather than replacement cost.
- Existing wear, described. "Traffic lane visible in lounge from door to couch" is worth more than "fair".
- Whether it was professionally cleaned before handover, and when.
- What is under the furniture, because at the end the furniture will be gone and whatever is under it becomes visible and contentious.
Learn the soil versus wear distinction
This is the single most useful thing an agent can know, because it is what a deduction argument turns on and it is testable in a minute.
Rub the carpet firmly with a damp white cloth. If the cloth comes away grey or brown, that is soil, and soil generally cleans out. If the cloth stays essentially clean and the carpet still looks dark, the fibre is physically abraded and that is wear, see how to tell soil from wear.
Then look at the pile with a torch at a low angle. Defined, upright tufts mean soiled but sound. Splayed, matted, untwisted pile is worn and will not recover.
Wear is generally not deductible, because it is what ordinary use does. Knowing the difference before you raise a deduction saves you from claiming for something you will lose on, which is worse than not claiming, since it costs you credibility on the rest of the claim.
Reset the baseline between tenancies
The strongest incoming record is a professionally cleaned carpet, photographed. It removes the argument about what "clean" meant, it lets the property faster, and it extends carpet life by removing the grit that abrades it, see how grit wears carpet out.
It also gives you a real starting point rather than an inherited unknown, see fitting it into the void period.
What we can and cannot do
We clean, and we will tell you honestly what is soil and what is wear, which is often the exact information in dispute. We do not act as expert witnesses, value disputes, or advise what you may deduct. For that you need an attorney or the Tribunal.
Common questions
How should letting agents document carpet condition?
Dated photographs of the same angles at both the incoming and outgoing inspections, shooting the traffic lanes and the edges specifically rather than flattering wide shots, under consistent light. Photograph existing marks at the start, which protects both parties. Add written notes for what the camera cannot capture: odour room by room, carpet age, existing wear described specifically, and what is under the furniture.
Why is a tick-box inspection sheet not enough?
Because "good" and "dirty" are opinions rather than measurements, held by people who may no longer be available, about a carpet nobody photographed. No adjudicator can compare one person's "good" with another's "fair". The burden sits on whoever claims the deduction, so an agent with tick-boxes is asking to be believed while an agent with dated photographs is asking to be looked at.
How can I tell if carpet is dirty or worn out?
Rub it firmly with a damp white cloth. If the cloth greys, that is soil and it generally cleans out. If the cloth stays clean and the carpet still looks dark, the fibre is abraded and that is wear. Then check the pile with a torch at a low angle: defined upright tufts mean soiled but sound, while splayed matted untwisted pile is worn and will not recover. Wear is generally not deductible.
Should the carpet be professionally cleaned before a new tenancy?
It is the strongest incoming record you can create. It removes any argument about what "clean" meant at the start, lets the property faster, and extends carpet life by removing the grit that abrades it. Photograph it immediately afterwards and you have a defined, dated baseline rather than an inherited unknown.
To reset a baseline between tenancies, request a quote or contact our commercial team.