A different reason why carpet is an unreasonable floor for rentals

[Andrey Y.]

I recently wanted to replace old carpet with carpet before renting a 2/1 condo. Listen to this timeline for carpet installation:

6/4: I did some research and looked around for carpet. On the second day I decided to go with a local carpet seller (Bougainville flooring in Honolulu, HI) since they were having a sale. I ended up going with a lower-end carpet (still quoted as around $1000 for carpet and pad and around $700 labor, for roughly 600 sq. ft. No problem.

6/8: This was a Monday. The "gentleman" said its takes 2 days from the time the card is charged for the carpet to be cut and ready for the installer. I get their recommended installer to do the measusrements.

6/12: 4 business days later, they tell me the carpet still isn't ready. No to mention the price went up about 3 times over a 3 day period. Interesting. I said I cannot do business with a company that cannot deliver on their simple policies/promises. He said it won't be ready until about Tuesday.

6/14: Went to Loews and found that I could get mid grade carpet and higher end pad cheaper with install than the local place. At least I can make up for the lost rent with the better carpet deal. Great. Now their company has to do another measurement.

After scheduling for the carpet to be installed on 6/23, with 8-10 prospective tenats waiting to view the place with the carpet installed, another miscommunication. Long story short, they didn't have the machine that "takes the carpet down". Now they are saying they are ready for the install this Friday at 6/26.

Now its another wild goose chase to make sure they aren't bluffing again.

This is part a rant, and partly, to inform you, just get ANY flooring that comes in a box. If you do, the above can be avoided. I don't care about lost rent. I care about time wasted to show the place when carpet hasn't been installed when it should have.

This can easily be avoided with getting laminate, vinyl, whatever, and just getting someone to install (or do it yourself). Would have taken a week MAX. The carpet thing is going on a month and still isn't over.

[Account Closed]

We put laminate wood flooring in all of houses and tile in kitchen and baths. Cuts down on our investors cost when a tenant moves out since no flooring has to be replaced. Big savings. And looks great!