Regularly replacing the carpet in your Palm Harbor rental home is essential, but not many landlords find it enjoyable. Have you ever thought about getting rid of the carpet in your rental permanently? More rental property owners are switching from wall-to-wall carpeting to hard-surface flooring. If this suggestion seems drastic, consider these reasons why getting rid of the carpet makes sense for both landlords and tenants.
Carpets may harbor dirt and odor
Maintaining carpet cleanliness in a rental home is one of the most difficult tasks. Although you may clean the carpets professionally between tenants, they might not take care of them during their tenancy. If tenants stay for years, the carpets may accumulate significant dirt and grime over time.
Carpet fibers are notorious for holding onto unpleasant odors, especially when not cleaned frequently and thoroughly. Even if tenants clean the carpet, they likely avoid the cost of hiring someone or the time required to do it themselves.
Alternatively, hard-surface flooring, including laminate or tile, is easy to keep clean. These types of flooring can be cleaned to shine in minutes and as often as tenants want, ensuring no unpleasant stains or odors. Hard-surface flooring is much more sanitary for young children and those with respiratory or other health issues than carpet.
Avoid soaked carpets in case of a flood
Another reason to get rid of carpets is the trouble of cleaning them after water leaks and floods. A small plumbing issue can result in major flooding in a rental house, and once carpets are wet, they can cause severe problems.
Wet carpets must be pulled up, and the subflooring, pad, and carpeting should be thoroughly dried to prevent mold growth. If the carpet cannot be dried, it has to be replaced. Failing to handle a flooding situation promptly and correctly can risk your residents’ health and lead to 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 expensive restoration services or flooring replacement won’t be needed, just some focused clean-up.
Hardwood floors have a longer lifespan
It’s common knowledge that carpets should 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 are not replaced regularly, tenants might think about moving out.
Old carpeting looks bad and can be dangerous. As carpet gets older, tacks can pop up and injure people walking on them. Cheap carpets, in particular, don’t endure more than a few years in rental properties.
Hard-surface flooring, however, lasts much longer. While a tenant can damage a hard-surface floor, most tile or laminate floors will last at least ten to twenty years. Laminate flooring is priced similarly to carpet but doesn’t need to be replaced as often, making it a better rental choice.
Ditch the outdated look of carpets
Finally, wall-to-wall carpeting can give a rental property an outdated look. Modern homes usually limit carpeting, often to the bedrooms or not at all.
To update your rental’s appearance, consider installing attractive laminate or tile flooring instead of carpet in the main areas. Unlike carpet, which tenants cannot change, hard-surface flooring enables them to add rugs or décor items to customize the space without sacrificing cleanliness or durability.
Modern laminate tile comes in many sizes, colors, and patterns, including wood-look tiles that can enhance your rental without the cost and hassle of natural hardwood.
Explore the advantages of hard-surface flooring for rental properties. Get in touch with Real Property Management TradeWinds at 727-400-4722 or online for tips on creating cost-effective, appealing interiors that tenants will love. Our property managers in Palm Harbor are skilled in reducing maintenance costs while maintaining tenant appeal.
Originally Published on May 7, 2021
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
