Aquarium Stand STAINS

[J2FcM]

Hello all,

Due to a recent landlord dispute I was just wondering if anyone's ever heard of, or had their own aquarium stand stain a carpet.

I lived for 9 months in a unit with my 90gallon fish tank and left the unit with ZERO carpet staining, and or damage.

I lived for 3 months in a condo with the EXACT SAME 90gallon fish tank + stand, and left with zero stains. UNFORTUNATLY... having minimal experience with landlords... I did not take pictures of the carpet upon move out.

The management informed me that;

"The pedestal/stand leached wood stain onto the carpet in an outline of the stand. I am sure the weight of the aquarium contributed to the staining. We tried cleaning the stain with no success. In addition, we consulted with our property manager and a flooring expert and all indicated that furniture stains of this kind will not come out"

My stand is a 5' 1/2ft long wooden stand for a 90gallon tank.

I wanted to know opinions because the management was warned about the fish tank, and OK'ed the fish tank, but 2 months in said they had no insurance... at which point I provided them proof of insurance. They said nothing, and now they are bringing this up " I also want to remind you that we had previously instructed you to empty the aquarium and you did not comply." Despite my communicating to them that I had purchased insurance.(and they also offered that I provide insurance as an alternative).

[Rallysman]

can you revisit (with a camera) to see if it's true?

[J2FcM]

unfortunately not.

The unit was re-leased the next day, and we were not notified of the charge until 2 weeks later, and the carpet was already replaced.

Although, I was there when the landlord inspected the carpets of the renter before myself... and he very non-chalantly decided to replace all the carpets over a few stains I thought were fixable. But who was I to complain! I was gunna get new carpets!... and now in retrospect..................

[Roan]

I've never had this problem, even with the stand I stained myself. I suspect that it's not a stain at all but a pressure mark where the tank was sitting. I have such a one where my 36g bowfront sat for two years and the carpet will not "fluff" up again.

Eileen

[zippo]

IMO your landlords a ripoff.

[Trixie]

Yeah, it sounds a bit shady to me too.

[joephys]

I have never heard of this either. If it really happened, your land lord should have taken a picture to prove something like that. I am sure that he doesn't. If you did a move out inspection together, and he didn't say anything then, then you should be off the hook.

[OrionGirl]

I'd force the issue. If they can't prove it, they can't force you to pay. I've stained my own stands and never had a problem with it.

[rosita]

Originally Posted by Roan

I have such a one where my 36g bowfront sat for two years and the carpet will not "fluff" up again.

Eileen

With so much moving around and living in various types of domiciles, my mother learned a handy trick that usually works: put chunks of ice cubes on the dented spots and let it melt into it, then put a fan on it to dry then vacuum. Voila! Just don't use too large a chunk of ice anywhere for obvious reasons . . . . .

[TwoTankAmin]

I would send them a registered letter. Say that you saw no evidence of staining when you moved out. Suggest you would be more than happy to pay for any dsmages if they would be so kind as to send you pictures of the said damages taken of the carpet in the apartment after you vacated. You might want to say your insurance co, who you had told them insured you against such liability, needs them in order to pay any claim.

I suggest you might want to make a second copy of the letter which you send to yourself at the same time and keep unopened.

Some landlords are pretty slimey when it comes to these things and unless you play hardball, you get the wrong end of the stick.

As a matter of pilicy when vacating a rented apartment is is a good idea to contat the landlord and request that they or their designated representative do a walkthrough of the apartment with you in order to reach an agreement as to the condtition at the time. Prepare a document for both parties to sign which details any damages you both agree may be there or which says the apartment was in acceptable condition as agreed upon in the terms of the lease.

Good luck- do not knuckle under if you think you are in the right. Let them take you to small claims court. It will likely cost them more than the cost they are trying to "recover" and they wont like that at all.

[Roan]

Originally Posted by rosita

With so much moving around and living in various types of domiciles, my mother learned a handy trick that usually works: put chunks of ice cubes on the dented spots and let it melt into it, then put a fan on it to dry then vacuum. Voila! Just don't use too large a chunk of ice anywhere for obvious reasons . . . . .

I'll try that next time. It really doesn't matter with this carpet as it's already ruined. In a couple of years we're gonna pull it all and put hardwood flooring in.

Eileen

[mostlycichlids]

I have cleaned carpet for more than ten years. I can say I am a carpet expert. I have seen permanent furniture stains. If it is indeed varnish stains from the stand those are permanent. There are also two other things it could be which would stain/discolor the carpet.

Situation one...Carbon soil filtration. Soil filtration is caused when air ducts are dirty. When furnaces or ac systems turn on dust and carbon fly around. When heavy things sit on a spot and suffocate the carpet the carbon filters in to the carpet around objects and under doors. Carpet is the second biggest filter in a home. I have seen this several times in homes and the filtration lines are permanent.

Situation two...Carpet oxydation/dye set damage. Some carpets have larger dye sets and stronger dye dynamics than other carpets. Woll or man made carpets typically have weaker dye sets and are more suceptable to this. If an area rug or heavy piece of furniture lays on an area too long and suffocates the carpet...or allows no oxygen to the carpet the color can be physically changed in the shape of the object. This is called oxydation and is caused by lack of oxygen to the dye.

I know it may sound complex but those are two possibilities of an alternative to what they may be referring to as your so called furniture stain problem.

[OrionGirl]

But both of those would have been visible when the stand was moved out, wouldn't they?

[mostlycichlids]

Originally Posted by OrionGirl

But both of those would have been visible when the stand was moved out, wouldn't they?

In some cases yes in some cases no.

[beviking]

Wether the stains were there or not, you should do as TwoTankAmin suggests. Sounds like the landlord likes to swap out carpets as tennants leave and if the ex-tennant pays for it, he has nothing to lose. I agree that it is a shady deal if there were no pictures and/or the landlord did not ask for you to come and check it out for yourself.