Regularly replacing the carpet in your Manhattan Beach 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 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
Keeping carpet clean in a rental home is one of the more challenging aspects. 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.
Carpet fibers are infamous for retaining bad smells, especially if not cleaned properly and often. Even if the tenant cleans the carpet, they probably prefer to avoid the cost of hiring help or spending their own time.
On the contrary, hard-surface flooring like laminate or tile is easy to clean. Such flooring can be scrubbed to shine in minutes and as often as tenants desire, preventing unpleasant stains or odors. Unlike carpet, hard-surface flooring is much more hygienic for young children and people with respiratory or 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. A small plumbing issue can result in major flooding in a rental house, and once carpets are wet, they can cause severe problems.
Soaked carpets must be removed, and the subflooring, pad, and carpet must be dried immediately and thoroughly to avoid mold growth. If drying the carpet is not possible, it must be replaced. If a flooding situation is not handled promptly and correctly, you could endanger your residents’ health and face severe 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 avoiding expensive restoration services or floor replacement, 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 are not fond of living with old, worn, or stained carpets. If the carpet isn’t replaced on a regular basis, they may think about moving out.
Old carpeting looks bad and can be dangerous. When carpets age, tacks can emerge and harm people walking on them. Cheap carpeting, particularly, doesn’t last 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 about the same cost as carpet but requires less frequent replacement, making it a better choice for rentals.
Ditch the outdated look of carpets
Finally, wall-to-wall carpeting can give a rental property an outdated look. Newer homes often limit carpet to bedrooms or avoid it entirely.
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 offers a variety of sizes, colors, and patterns, including wood-look tiles that can enhance your rental without the cost and hassle of natural hardwood.
Explore the benefits of using hard-surface flooring in rental properties. Contact Real Property Management California Coast at 310-535-2150 or online for cost-saving tips on creating appealing, long-lasting interiors that tenants will love. Our property managers in Manhattan Beach specialize in cutting maintenance costs without sacrificing tenant appeal.
Originally Published on May 7, 2021
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