Changing the carpet in your Portsmouth rental home regularly is necessary, but most property owners don’t enjoy it. Have you ever thought about getting rid of the carpet in your rental permanently? Increasingly, rental property owners are opting for hard-surface flooring over wall-to-wall carpeting. If this concept feels too radical, think about the reasons why fully removing the carpet is beneficial for landlords and tenants.
Carpets may harbor dirt and odor
Maintaining carpet cleanliness in a rental home is one of the most difficult tasks. Though you might have the carpets professionally cleaned between tenants, they may not maintain them during their stay. If tenants remain for several years or more, the carpets could accumulate dirt and grime over time.
Carpets are notorious for holding bad smells, especially when not cleaned regularly and thoroughly. Even if tenants clean the carpet, they likely avoid the cost of hiring someone or the time required to do it themselves.
Conversely, hard-surface floors like laminate or tile are easy to clean. This type of flooring can be scrubbed to shine in minutes and as often as tenants like, ensuring no unpleasant stains or smells. 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 consider ditching carpets is the hassle 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 need to be pulled up, and the subflooring, pad, and carpeting must be dried immediately to prevent dangerous mold growth. If the carpet cannot be dried, it needs to 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, except for natural hardwood, is much easier to manage in a flooding situation. Properly installed 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 common knowledge that carpets should be replaced every five years. Some landlords try to extend that to seven years or more—usually to their own disadvantage. Most residents don’t enjoy living on old, worn, or stained carpets. If the carpet is not replaced regularly, tenants may consider moving out.
Old carpeting looks bad and can be dangerous. As carpets get older, tacks can emerge from underneath and injure people walking on them. Cheap carpets, in particular, don’t endure more than a few years in rental properties.
Hard-surface flooring, in contrast, has a much longer lifespan. While a tenant can damage a hard-surface floor, most tile or laminate floors will last at least ten to twenty years. Laminate flooring costs roughly the same as carpet but doesn’t need to be replaced as often, 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. Modern homes usually limit carpeting, often to the bedrooms or not at all.
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 lets tenants add rugs or décor items to customize the space without compromising 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.
Explore the advantages of hard-surface flooring for rental properties. Contact Real Property Management Seacoast New Hampshire at 603-343-2202 or online for cost-saving tips on creating attractive, durable interiors tenants will love. Our property managers in Portsmouth focus on lowering maintenance costs without sacrificing 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.
