Even when they know that replacing the carpet in their West Fargo rental home every few years is a necessary expense, few rental property owners enjoy it. Have you considered getting rid of the carpet in your rental altogether? Through the years, an increasing number of rental property owners are choosing to forego wall-to-wall carpeting and choosing hard-surface flooring in their properties instead. If this seems very unusual, here are some reasons why opting out of carpet makes a lot of sense for West Fargo rental property owners and their tenants.
Reason #1: Cleanliness
If your rental home has a carpet, it can be hard to keep it clean. While it may be easy to have the carpets professionally cleaned between each tenant, the tenants themselves might not do it themselves. Having long-term tenants also mean that those carpets have been collecting dirt and other things for years. Carpet fibers are known to hold onto bad smells especially if the carpet is not cleaned properly and regularly. Even if your tenants do have the carpet cleaned, they would still appreciate it if they did not have to spend for someone to do it or spend a lot of time doing it themselves.
In contrast, hard-surface flooring, such as laminate or tile, is a breeze to clean. A few minutes of scrubbing can make these types of flooring shine and can encourage tenants to keep it free from stains or smells. Unlike carpet, hard-surface flooring is also far more sanitary for young children and individuals with respiratory or other health issues.
Reason #2: Flooding
Another good reason to give up carpet for good is the huge effort in cleaning up carpets that get soaked due to water leaks and floods.When you live in a rental house, even a small plumbing issue can lead to serious flooding, and once carpets are wet, they can become a major problem. Soaked carpets, including the sub-flooring, pad, and carpeting need to be dried out thoroughly to avoid dangerous mold growth underneath. If drying the carpet becomes impossible, you have to replace it. You could compromise your residents’ health and expose yourself to some serious liability if you do not address flooding situations promptly.
Other than real hardwood, most hard-surface flooring material can withstand a flooding situation. When laminate and vinyl are installed properly, they are very water-resistant and can be dried out easily. With this, you no longer have to spend on expensive restoration services or flooring replacement, just focus on clean-up!
Reason #3: Longevity
Carpets need to be replaced every five years. Although some landlords try to extend it to seven years or longer, usually with less than pleasant results. The average resident would not like living with threadbare or heavily stained carpets and will likely leave a rental if the carpet isn’t replaced within ideal timelines. Not only does it look bad, but old carpeting is also dangerous, too. Old thin carpets make it easy for carpet tack to emerge from underneath and injure those who walk on it. Cheap carpet lasts only a short time in rental property conditions.
Hard-surface flooring has way more longevity. Given the ways a tenant could potentially damage a hard-surface floor, most tile or laminate flooring lasts at least ten to twenty years. At nearly the same cost as carpet, laminate flooring does not need frequent replacement and could be a far better choice for rental properties.
Reason #4: Modern Look
Finally, wall-to-wall carpeting can sometimes make a rental property’s interior look outdated. These days, most homes don’t have carpets or may have a small one in the bedroom only. If you want your rental to have a more modern look, you can install laminate flooring instead of carpet in the main living areas. Compared to carpet, which a tenant cannot change, hard-surface flooring gives tenants the flexibility of adding rugs or another decor without compromising on cleanliness or longevity.Modern laminate tiles come in a wide range of sizes, colors, and patterns including wood-look tiles that allow you to easily upgrade your rental’s look without the cost and hassle of real hardwood.
With all these benefits of hard-surface flooring, you can easily see why some rental property owners are leaving carpet behind for good. Would you like more information about how to design beautiful, durable rental home interiors that tenants will love while saving you money? Give Real Property Management Optimum a call at 320-289-4649. Our team of West Fargo property managers works with rental property owners like you to lower your maintenance and repairs costs without making your rental any less appealing for tenants.
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