Changing the carpet in your Fort Worth rental home regularly is necessary, but most property owners don’t enjoy it. Why not consider getting rid of the carpet in your rental property for good? More landlords are now choosing hard-surface flooring instead of wall-to-wall carpeting in their rental properties. 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 stay for years, the carpets may accumulate significant dirt and grime over time.
Carpets are notorious for holding bad smells, especially when not cleaned regularly and thoroughly. Even when tenants clean the carpet, they probably want to avoid the expense of hiring someone or the time to do it themselves.
Conversely, hard-surface flooring like laminate or tile is easy to maintain. 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 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. If properly installed, most types of laminate and vinyl are highly water-resistant and can be dried efficiently. This eliminates the need for costly restoration services or flooring replacement, just a thorough 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 stretch this to seven years or longer—generally to their disadvantage. Most residents don’t enjoy living on old, worn, or stained carpets. If carpets aren’t regularly replaced, tenants might consider 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, especially, don’t last more than a few years in rental properties.
Hard-surface flooring, in contrast, has a much longer lifespan. While tenants can damage hard-surface floors, most tile or laminate flooring can last at least ten to twenty years. 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
In the end, wall-to-wall carpeting can make a rental property look outdated. 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 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 various sizes, colors, and patterns, including wood-look tiles that can elevate your rental without the cost and hassle of natural hardwood.
Learn about the benefits of hard-surface flooring for rental properties. Contact Real Property Management Oasis at 817-581-1574 or online for tips on creating cost-effective, appealing interiors that tenants will love. Our property managers in Fort Worth are skilled in reducing maintenance costs while maintaining tenant appeal.
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