Anybody still use carpet in rentals?

[Jason C.]

Hey there! I have been using the vinyl plank flooring for the last few rentals we picked up, but I got one now where we are a little lighter on budget and so I was thinking of going with carpet, Home Depot has free install, and I just pulled carpet out of this house, so my tack strips are already in place. Anybody still using carpet in rentals? Thanks!

[Chris Martin]

Carpet == dirt magnet

My view is unless absolutely necessary (and there are few cases of this, other than existing long term (e.g. 5+ yr) tenant who insists on replacing 15 yr+ carpet with... carpet) don't do carpet.

[Michael Hayworth]

I do, in certain circumstances.

I buy a lot of older homes in areas starting to gentrify. I know I'm going to sell them in 3-10 years. Most of them have hardwood floors from the 20s or so that are in disrepair. I don't want to refinish those and then have a tenant tear it up. I can get low-end carpet installed for $1/sf, so it's a fairly cheap, temporary floor covering.

I wouldn't use it in a long-term buy & hold rental, or in a house that didn't have original hardwoods - for those, I'd use vinyl plank or even wood-look sheet vinyl (there's one I've installed that people always think is actual wood till they look very closely. But for the application I use carpet for, it works.

[Logan Allec]

@Jason C., I stopped a while ago.  Given the choice between the two, I find that higher quality tenants are more attracted to laminate than to carpet.

[Jill F.]

I put plush carpet tiles in bedrooms

[Account Closed]

We purchase carpet from a company called Barton Carpet in San Antonio that is virtually stain proof. The carpet is so stain resistant that a Sharpie permanent marker cannot stain it; also bleach will not damage it.

We also use stain guard pad with the carpet that will not allow liquids, and pet urine to penetrate into the pad or flooring below.

When tenants moved out, we require them to have the carpets professionally cleaned. Because the carpet is virtually stain proof, the carpet cleaners easily remove Red Kool-Aid and other stains.

When you look at the cost and longevity of the carpet, it ends up being one of the most inexpensive floorings to use in rental property.

[Jeff B.]

I've always used (19yrs) wall-wall carpets as it gives warmth and personal feeling instead of the institutional feel of vinyl.  Hardwood is delightful - - until it gets scratch or stained - - and then too the lower units hear the clomp-clomp of the upper tenant and it leads to discontent and more move-outs.