There are only a few rental property owners who enjoy replacing the carpet in their Delafield rental home every few years. Have you considered letting go of the carpet in your rental for good? Many rental property owners now favor installing hard-surface flooring in their properties instead of wall-to-wall carpeting. If this sounds a bit strange, you might want to consider why these Delafield rental property owners and tenants are thinking of getting rid of carpet because it might make a lot of sense to you.
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. If you have tenants who stay for several years, those carpets could be accumulating dirt for years. Bad smells easily cling to carpet fibers especially when the carpet doesn’t get a regular and proper cleaning. Your tenant may not also enjoy having to spend for someone to clean it or they may not have the time to do it themselves.
Hard-surface flooring, like laminate or tile, in comparison, is easier to maintain. Flooring like these only takes a few minutes to be scrubbed clean and tenants can easily ensure that there are no unpleasant 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. Even a simple plumbing issue can turn into major flooding inside a rental house, and once carpets are wet, they become a big problem. Mold can grow under soaked carpets so these, as well as the sub-flooring, pad, and carpeting, have to be pulled out immediately and dried thoroughly. If the carpet cannot be dried, it has to be replaced. You could compromise your residents’ health and expose yourself to some serious liability if you do not address flooding situations promptly.
Most types of hard-surface flooring (other than real hardwood) fare better in flooding situations. Most laminates and vinyl are very water-resistant when properly installed and can be efficiently dried out. You can say goodbye to expensive restoration services or flooring replacement!
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. Residents do not like living on top of thin, stained carpets and tend to leave a rental if the carpet isn’t replaced in a timely manner. 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 also doesn’t last more than a few years in most rental properties.
Hard-surface flooring enjoys more longevity. Despite all the ways a tenant could potentially damage a hard-surface floor, most tile or laminate flooring should last you a good ten to twenty years or more. Costing roughly the same as carpet, laminate flooring does not need to be replaced as often, thus making it a better option for rental properties.
Reason #4: Modern Look
Finally, wall-to-wall carpeting can sometimes make a rental property’s interior look outdated. Modern homes usually only have carpets in bedrooms or even none at all. 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 other decors without compromising on cleanliness or longevity. Modern laminate tiles come in different sizes, colors, and patterns, including wood-look tiles that can easily upgrade your rental’s aesthetic without the cost and hassle of hardwood.
Given all the benefits of hard-surface flooring, it is no wonder why some rental property owners are opting for it instead of carpet! 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 Greater Milwaukee a call at 262-309-6961. Our team of Delafield 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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