When you are a landlord, it is your responsibility as landlord to have flooring installed in the property, where your tenant will be living. This is usually done prior to the tenant moving in, or unless otherwise agreed with the tenant.
As a general rule of thumb, the flooring in the bedrooms and low traffic areas, usually have a life span of around 5 -10 years. Flooring on high traffic areas, such as lounge, stairs, kitchens and hallways tend to have a shorter life span. Taking that into consideration though sometimes flooring needs to be changed and refreshed sooner.
In this blog ill explain the most cost effective options in my opinion
Carpet:
Carpet is still a popular choice for rental properties, but there are a few things to keep in mind.
- Is the carpet easy to clean?
- Is the carpet easy to maintain?
- Will the carpet wear out quickly?
There are carpets with a low pile that are easier to take care of and look good for longer than thick Saxony carpets. These are a great choice if you’re looking for a carpet that meets the above criteria.
We also have carpets with a “felt back,” which means you don’t need an underlay. These are also a popular choice because they save you money, a good option if your tenant has a short term lease. If they are a longer lease term tenant, I would suggest either a better grade of felt back or a new underlay.
Vinyl:
Vinyl is perfect for kitchens and bathrooms, areas that see a lot of water and spillages. However, with the cost of the materials that make the vinyl rising, these wouldn’t be a budget friendly option for larger areas, such as lounges. Also vinyl CANNOT be laid on a staircase.
Laminate:
When it comes to a flooring that is an all-round winner Laminate should be seriously considered. It’s hard wearing and comes in a vast array of colours. Again, in my opinion, keep it light and a neutral colour, this tends to be more appealing to potential tenants. Laminate can be installed in all the areas of the property without any qualms. Its east to look after and maintain.
LVT:
LVT is a wonderful flooring, its water resistant, scratch proof, sun bleaching proof, hard wearing and is made to be easy to install and to have an incredible lifespan. HOWEVER, for the pleasure of all those benefits, the price reflects the product. It is an expensive option, so if you’re wanting to get LVT for the property bear that in mind. Is the property that you’re wanting the LVT for, going to be a winning decision or a costly one?
What would I pick?
If I were a landlord, I’d carefully consider all the options. I’d choose vinyl flooring for the kitchen and bathrooms/toilets in the property. The bedrooms, stairs, and landing would have carpet, and underlay would be installed throughout. The carpet would be a lighter grey or neutral colour to match the tenants’ colour scheme and it would be a short pile carpet in all the areas. The underlay would make the carpet more comfortable underfoot. The lounge, hallway, and other areas would have laminate flooring. This combination should make it easy for the tenant to move in and feel right at home from the start.