Swapping out the carpet in your Roosevelt rental home every few years is important, yet most landlords dislike the task. Have you thought about permanently removing the carpet from your rental instead? Rental property owners are increasingly opting for hard-surface flooring instead of wall-to-wall carpeting. If this notion seems too radical, reflect on some reasons why eliminating the carpet can benefit landlords and tenants.
Carpets may harbor dirt and odor
One of the toughest aspects of having carpet in a rental home is maintaining its cleanliness. You might clean the carpets professionally between tenants, but they may not maintain them while living there. If tenants reside for several years, those carpets could be collecting dirt and grime for a long time.
Carpet fibers are known for clinging to bad odors, particularly if they aren’t cleaned regularly and adequately. Even when tenants clean the carpet, they probably want to avoid the expense of hiring someone or the time to do it themselves.
Alternatively, hard-surface flooring, including laminate or tile, is easy to keep clean. Such flooring can be scrubbed to shine in minutes and as often as tenants desire, preventing unpleasant stains or odors. Hard-surface flooring is far more sanitary than carpet for young children and those with respiratory or other health issues.
Avoid soaked carpets in case of a flood
Another reason to forgo carpets is the difficulty of cleaning them after water leaks and floods. Even a minor plumbing issue can cause major flooding in a rental, and wet carpets can become a significant problem.
Soaked carpets must be pulled up, and the subflooring, pad, and carpeting need to be dried thoroughly to prevent mold. If drying the carpet is not possible, it must be replaced. If you fail to address a flooding situation promptly and correctly, you could risk your residents’ health and face serious liability.
Most hard-surface flooring (excluding natural hardwood) is much easier to handle in a flood situation. When properly installed, most laminate and vinyl types are highly water-resistant and can be dried efficiently. This means no need for expensive restoration services or floor replacement, just some focused clean-up.
Hardwood floors have a longer lifespan
It’s well known that carpets need to be replaced every five years. Some landlords try to extend this to seven years or even longer—usually to their own detriment. Most tenants aren’t keen on living with old, worn, or stained carpets. If carpets aren’t regularly replaced, tenants might consider moving out.
Old carpets are unsightly and often pose a danger. As carpets age, tacks can protrude and injure those walking on them. Cheap carpet, specifically, doesn’t hold up for more than a few years in rental properties.
Hard-surface flooring, on the other hand, is much more durable. While a tenant can damage a hard-surface floor, most tile or laminate flooring can last ten to twenty years or longer. Laminate flooring costs about the same as carpet but doesn’t require frequent replacement, making it a better choice for rentals.
Ditch the outdated look of carpets
Lastly, wall-to-wall carpeting can sometimes give a rental property an outdated appearance. Newer homes usually have minimal carpet, often just in bedrooms or not at all.
To give your rental a contemporary look, consider replacing carpet with attractive laminate or tile flooring in the main areas. Unlike carpet, which tenants can’t change, hard-surface flooring allows tenants to add rugs or other décor items to personalize the space while keeping it clean and durable.
Modern laminate tile comes in a wide range of sizes, colors, and patterns, including wood-look tiles that can upgrade your rental without the expense and hassle of natural hardwood.
Learn about the benefits of hard-surface flooring for rental properties. Get in touch with Real Property Management Uintah at 435-214-4686 or online for tips on creating cost-effective, appealing interiors that tenants will love. Our property managers in Roosevelt specialize in cutting maintenance costs without sacrificing tenant appeal.
Originally Published on May 7, 2021
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