Changing your National Harbor rental home’s carpet has to be done every few years, but a few rental property owners enjoy it. But have you ever thought of just removing the carpet for good? More rental owners are foregoing wall-to-wall carpeting for hard-surface flooring in their rentals instead. If this sounds a bit strange, you might want to consider why these National Harbor 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
One challenge that comes with having a carpet in a rental home is keeping it clean. While you may have the carpets professionally cleaned between each tenant, the tenants may not do it themselves. Having long-term tenants also mean that those carpets have been collecting dirt and other things for years. Carpet fibers easily hold onto bad smells especially if the carpet does not get a proper and regular cleaning. Your tenants may have the carpet cleaned but it is likely that they do not enjoy the expense of getting someone to do it or the time they have to spend doing it themselves.
Laminate, tile, and other hard flooring surfaces are easy to clean. Scrubbing these types of flooring clean can take only a few minutes and the tenants can do it as often as they want to prevent 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 reason to give up carpet is to save on the hassle of cleaning up carpets that get soaked due to water leaks and floods. A simple plumbing issue can end up causing major flooding in a rental house, and wet carpets can become a serious problem. To avoid mold growth underneath, you must pull up soaked carpets and thoroughly dry out the sub-flooring, pad, and carpeting. If drying the carpet isn’t possible, it will need to be replaced. Flooding situations that are not dealt with promptly and correctly can put residents’ health at risk and expose them to serious liability.
Most hard-surface flooring (other than real hardwood) is easier to deal with in flooding situations. When laminate and vinyl are installed properly, they are very water-resistant and can be dried out easily. You can say goodbye to expensive restoration services or flooring replacement!
Reason #3: Longevity
Carpets don’t need to be replaced before five years of use. Although some landlords try to extend it to seven years or longer, usually with less than pleasant results. Residents don’t usually like living on top of stained carpets — more so on old, threadbare ones. Some will leave a rental if the carpet isn’t replaced as often as they would like. The old carpeting is often dangerous as well. Old carpets become too thin to the point that carpet tack starts to emerge from underneath and cause injury. Cheap carpets don’t last long under rental property conditions.
Hard-surface flooring has more longevity. Even with all the possible ways a tenant could damage a hard-surface flooring, most tile or laminate flooring lasts around ten to twenty years or even more. Laminate flooring costs about the same as carpet, but you do not need to replace it as often, making it a better choice for rental properties.
Reason #4: Modern Look
Finally, wall-to-wall carpeting can sometimes make a rental property’s interior look outdated. Newer homes often keep carpet to a minimum. Some have it in the bedroom, and some have none at all. Attractive laminate flooring or tile, instead of carpet, in the main living areas, gives your rental a more modern look. Unlike carpet, which a tenant can’t change, hard-surface flooring lets tenants add rugs or decor items without compromising 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.
The benefits of hard-surface flooring are making many rental property owners choose to leave 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 Gold a call at 301-392-2172. Our team of National Harbor property managers works with rental property owners like you to lower your maintenance and repair costs without making your rental home any less appealing for tenants.
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