Carpet or wooden flooring? (rental)

[IWantSummer]

Old carpet has to go.
Do we just put in new carpet? Or wooden flooring?
Cost compared to longevity?

What kind of house/flat is it? Small and high turn over or a family home.

If its a 'starter home' where tenants only stay a few years I would get cheap carpets, and be prepared to replace them every couple of years.

If its a family house where tenants stick around and look after the place better then I would consider wooden floor, but my experience as a LL leans against putting anything very expensive down as you just can't guarantee people will look after it.

I put cheap carpets in mine, but its a 2 bed starter home, I have not had a family in there, mainly young couples who move on when they want to settle.

Well hoping for long term tenants as we won't be moving back into it.
I was hoping wooden laminate? Engineered? Or real? Would last longer and be more tenant friendly?
I'm worried if we put carpets in they will get ruined and need replacing with each tenancy?

Sorry it's a flat.

Mine is a 2 bed house, I just paid £600 and odd pound for the carpet, £5.99 a sq m. Felt backed, if you go into the carpet shop and ask for 'landlord carpet' they will point you to this stuff. Its nigh on indestructible. The last lot was down for 3 years and it was in great condition apart from the fact that the tenant flooded the house to the extent it had to be stripped to the joists.

So provided that the carpet is only subject to wear and tear rather than abuse, I expect it to last a good 5 years at least.

Have you priced engineered and hard wood floors? They are very expensive. And while they will be long lasting and can be sanded and re finished IMO a rental house doesn't warrent the initial outlay. Unless you are talking about a very high end rental.

I would be prepared to expect laminate to only last as long as carpet. It may last longer, but again I wouldn't pay for the good stuff, I would keep to 'disposable' flooring.

If people are wearing high heels etc, wood and liminate get damaged very easily, and IME even good tenants never look after the house as well as you would like!

I factor into my costs re painting and re carpeting between each tenancy. Untill this last loon tenant I have only re painted and had the carpets cleaned.

I like to do this between each tenant firstly to keep the property in good nick, and secondly so we are starting on a clean page so to speak and it is clear what/if any damage has been done by the new tenant.

I've just had a message from my tenant to say he has spilt red wine all over my carpet .

So I would go with wood...

God I wish our landlord had factored new carpets and painting between tenants into his costs...

I'm looking for a new tenant . A girl who works for me was supposed to be moving in, but now her boyfriend is dragging his heels so if they don't want it by monday I'm looking for a new tenant!

Oreo-how long do you have tenants stay for?
Can't say it's high end but it's not cheap -£1700 PCM
Rhubarb -what happens in this situation? Do they clean it? Will it cone out of their deposit?
Oreo-how do you find your tenants?

As a tenant can I suggest for a nice tea-brown carpet or vinyl flooring? You can get nice wood effect now, loads of my house-owning neighbours have it. I however have acres of nice cream carpet and it is a total nightmare. Laminate is generally cheap and nasty (and noisy) and would put me off.

See now I know some laminate us cheap and nasty but we've had some in a workplace with lots of coming and going and it still looks good five years later. Which what made me think it might be good for a rental?
Never never never cream carpets-this is what is being replaced. Horrid horrid stuff

I want them to stay for 32 years untill I retire. Then they can probably stay on a bit longer if they really want.

I'm in the north east so much cheaper market, my house is 450 a month to me it would be about 500 if let through an agent.

In the past most of my tenants have come word of mouth, apart from the last one, who I literally put a to let sign in the window with my mobile. I did all the checks myself well my accountant and solicitor did.

This time as it looks like the girl I had in mind doesn't want it, I'm going to use a tenant finder service from an agent, but will then manage it myself. I'm thinking of using Belvoir but I haven't had time to read the paper work yet to make a decision. Thats mondays job!

Oh and I always put a grey/beige colour mottled carpet down . Get Lino in the kitchen and bathroom, I paid £90 for both rooms and its top quality - I just struck luck on a roll end and asked for a discount .

Off to do my real job now! Woo hoo not

My tenants usually stay between 2 and 5 years.

If it's for your tennants, I would suggest laminate. I dont like it, but it is practical. On the other hand, if it is a first floor flat, go for carpets as people clappy trapping above you grates, somewhat.

I have our origional floorboards sanded and varnished and I luff them, but it's a shit load of work if you dont get to be there to enjoy them.

Laminate is practical. But try and get a recomendation for a good quality one.
Carpet is practical, and I can't imagine it needs replacing that often. Especially if you have a 'no pets' policy.

I don't know what happens now, to be honest. He's a good friend, renting my little flat by the sea for less than half the going rate, as a favour. In return he ships out for a weekend once a month so we can go there - it's a weekend place that we don't use much since dd arrived and life got more complicated. So there's no deposit and I don't want to fall out with him, but I am pissed off .

Rhubarb get a professional carpet cleaner in there quick tomorrow and tell your tenant not to scrub the carpet just soak up the excess and dab it.
The carpet cleaner will get it off. My dh walked tar all over my new beige carpet Nd then scrubbed it manically til it was ruined. The carpet guy said he would have been able to fix it easily if he hadnt destroyed the pile and got the bits he hadn't scrubbed looking absolutely brand new.

Thanks for the tip Purplehonesty. I fear he has probably already done exactly what your DH did, though, judging by the tone of his message and how he was going out to 'buy more stain remover'. I'm going down there tomorrow anyway to see about the leaking roof (sigh) so I will be able to assess the damage.

Whatever you do, don't get something easily damaged or hard to keep clean. Go for a mid coloured brown/grey carpet in the main areas, my friend who's lived in a lot of rentals weeps when she sees another hall and stairs carpeted in cream. A decent carpet will come up well with a Rug Doctor.

Ideally don't carpet the entrances, utility, dining area kitchen or bathrooms. Use a durable vinyl flooring over ply or hardboard if necessary.

The number one thing tenants are worried about is losing their deposit because the cream carpets/white walls/priceless antique floorboards don't look pristine. They are rarely snooty about laminate floor or small looking rooms like buyers.