Best flooring for a rental?

[Mike Palmer]

I have seen some that say carpet is the way to go in bedrooms, but others that say it is too expensive to replace and there are on-going costs of cleaning between tenants. Personally I have the tenants pay for cleaning, so this is a non-issue for me other than a few minutes to schedule the cleaning. 

I have heard others say tile flooring because it lasts forever, but I hardly ever hear anyone talk about cleaning and sealing grout as a routine expense. I also hear people saying tile is too expensive and it breaks. I would go with a good quality tile and charge any breakage to the tenants. Cleaning is another matter, because in my area it is not customary to charge the tenant for tile cleaning as it is for carpet. 

I have heard to only use linoleum in kitchens and baths because it does not crack/break and is cheap to replace. 

Seems I have almost always heard NOT to use wood floors, but I have heard a lot of discussion recently on using Allure or similar wood-looking vinyl flooring. I have heard both good and bad things about Allure, but it is fairly cheap, lasts longer than carpet, and is water proof. I have heard of some people that use this in the entire house (bedrooms and basements included) because of the cost to durability, no cleaning, does not crack/break, and doesn't require cleaning like carpet does. 

I went and looked at the Allure at Home Depot. It seems very thin. It is also a floating floor. This makes it easy to install, but doesn't seem as good for durability. Overall I think it might work well though and I am really considering making a switch to Allure or equivalent vinyl type flooring. Has anyone else done this? Are you doing the entire house? Are you happy with the results? How do you do stairs and vertical surfaces, or what do you use there? Carpet always seems to wear quickly on stairs because a lot more force is put right on the edge of the stair a lot more often, so I am looking for something other than carpet on stairs. What do you use? 

So again, what is the consensus on the best flooring to use (where and why)?

[Marcia Maynard]

TrafficMaster Allure Ultra Vinyl Plank Flooring is our current product of choice.   We prefer the interlocking ultra instead of the overlapping self-stick type of Allure.  Pick the imitation wood pattern and tenants will think they have hardwood floors.  This holds up much better than real wood floors.   

In our area, hardwood floors and carpeting are preferred by most tenants.  Tile for kitchen and bath is widely desired too.  With the new types of grout, tile care is easy.   If you go with rolled vinyl, it should be a good grade or it will tear easily.  Linoleum is not as commonly used.  Our tenants who want carpet will buy a carpet and lay it on top of the hardwood floors or imitation wood vinyl plank flooring.

If the unit has real wood floors, refinish them and make them as durable as you can. If the unit has wall to wall carpet and that is what your market likes (think colder climates) then replace carpet, but make sure you have a good pad so it will wear longer.  If you want to make a change, consider using TrafficMaster Allure Ultra Vinyl Plank for the high traffic areas or throughout the unit.  Or keep carpet in the bedrooms only.  Take into consideration the floor plan of your unit and the preference of the tenants in your market.