I live in Tokyo in an 80 sqm, 3LDK house with a large dog. My rental house has softwood flooring, so it scratches very easily. Even with rugs in all rooms, there is a lot of scratching (albeit very light scratches), and the whole floor likely needs replaced or refinished. Some of the wear and tear is normal wear and tear, but it would be impossible to determine which is which.
The house is 14 years old, so per my understanding of the Tokyo Guide for Preventing Tenant-Landlord Disputes, I should only be responsible for 30% of a floor replacement as the house has six years of useful life left. Does this depreciation apply if the landlord decides to refinish instead of replace?
Additionally, the floor was not in perfect condition when I moved in (deep scratches and dents). This is documented by the realtor. Does this affect the percentage that I’m responsible for or is this factored into the depreciation?
The landlord is scheduling an expert to come and give an estimate next week, but I would like to know what my rights and responsibilities are as a tenant as well.
Has anyone replaced softwood flooring recently? (I don’t know if it is all solid softwood or engineered.) What was the cost for labor and materials?
by PrudentQuestion