Swapping out the carpet in your Auburn 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? More landlords are now choosing hard-surface flooring instead of wall-to-wall carpeting in their rental properties. If this idea sounds too extreme, here are some reasons why removing the carpet entirely benefits landlords and tenants.
Carpets may harbor dirt and odor
Keeping carpet clean in a rental home is one of the more challenging aspects. Though you might have the carpets professionally cleaned between tenants, they may not maintain them during their stay. When tenants stay for several years, those carpets might accumulate dirt and grime for years.
Carpets are notorious for holding bad smells, especially when not cleaned regularly and thoroughly. Even if the tenant cleans the carpet, they probably prefer to avoid the cost of hiring help or spending their own time.
Alternatively, hard-surface flooring, including laminate or tile, is easy to keep clean. These floors can be scrubbed to shine in a few minutes and as often as tenants wish, ensuring no unpleasant stains or smells. Compared to carpet, hard-surface flooring is far more sanitary for children and individuals with respiratory or health issues.
Avoid soaked carpets in case of a flood
Another reason to abandon carpets is the hassle of cleaning them after water leaks and floods. Even a small plumbing issue can lead to severe flooding in a rental, and wet carpets can become a big problem.
Wet carpets need to be pulled up, and the subflooring, pad, and carpeting must be dried immediately to prevent dangerous mold growth. If drying the carpet is not possible, it must be replaced. If a flooding situation isn’t dealt with promptly and properly, you could risk your residents’ health and face severe liability.
Most hard-surface flooring, other than natural hardwood, is much easier to manage in a flood situation. Properly installed laminate and vinyl are highly water-resistant and can be dried efficiently. This means avoiding expensive restoration services or floor replacement, just some focused clean-up.
Hardwood floors have a longer lifespan
Everyone knows that carpets should be replaced every five years. Some landlords attempt to prolong that to seven years or longer—often to their detriment. Most residents don’t enjoy living on old, worn, or stained carpets. If the carpet isn’t regularly replaced, they might consider leaving.
Old carpets are unsightly and often pose a danger. As carpets get older, tacks can emerge from underneath and injure people 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 is about the same cost as carpet but requires less frequent replacement, making it a better choice for rentals.
Ditch the outdated look of carpets
Ultimately, wall-to-wall carpeting can sometimes give a rental property an old-fashioned look. Newer homes often limit carpet to bedrooms or avoid it entirely.
For a more modern look, consider installing attractive laminate or tile flooring in the main living areas instead of carpet. Unlike carpet, which tenants can’t change, hard-surface flooring allows tenants to add rugs or décor to customize the space while maintaining cleanliness and durability.
Modern laminate tile comes in various sizes, colors, and patterns, including wood-look tiles that can elevate your rental without the cost and hassle of natural hardwood.
Explore the benefits of using hard-surface flooring in rental properties. Get in touch with Real Property Management Thrive at 603-255-4100 or online for tips on creating cost-effective, appealing interiors that tenants will love. Our property managers in Auburn are experts in reducing maintenance costs without sacrificing tenant appeal.
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