How to Make Low Maintenance Apartment Units?

[Joe Edwards-Hoff]

Well, to make it short, I found some great resources on this thread- How to Harden Units , but I wanted to hear more. I'm picking up my first, 10 unit apartment complex. 10 tiny studio apartments. Mostly rented by migrant workers. Simple people with simple tastes. The previous owners wanted to fix it all up nice, but I think they learned that the tenants didn't want anything fancy. Just cheap and functional. Luckily cheap and functional is my middle name ;) ...

I was just looking for suggestions, any tips or tricks, to make the lowest maintenance units possible. I'd like to avoid clogged toilets, drains, broken stuff, etc. There are no washer dryers. No dish washers. And I think I'd rather spend a bit more on stuff it if meant that it would last longer and clog less (for plumbing). 

I have glue down LTV in my home. I think it'd work great at a rental. I'd do the whole place in it. What about counters? Shower surrounds? It sounds like subway tile is the best bet for longevity. Prefab laminate is cheap and easy for counters. Not sure about longevity.