Flooring Recomendations for Rental

[Zach Barber]

What do you guys normally do for flooring in your rentals? I know carpet seems to be the cheaper option, but I was hoping to put something in that is water proof and durable so I won’t have to change it after each messy tenant. Any recomendations are appreciated!

[David S.]

Here is a summary that I have experience with:

1.  Carpet.  I never put carpet in rentals.  A tenant/pet can destroy it in only a few months.  I have heard the objection to hard surface flooring in the bedrooms, to which I tell the tenant to buy an area rug.

2.  Laminate. Regular laminate is durable but can get damaged by moisture.  Animals can cause damage by peeing on it.  Or a small water leak, such as from the AC.

3.  Ceramic tile.  At one time, I put ceramic 100% of the time.  However, due to tenant damage by dropping things on it and grout lines that get so dirty that it has to be professionally (very expensive) cleaned, I now only use it sparingly, usually in bathrooms and kitchens.

4.  Porcelain tile.  Much harder than regular ceramic so it won't chip as easily.  I like the wood tile and have used this. 

5.  Moisture resistant laminate.  Pergo Outlast Plus is supposedly water resistant but not water proof.  I used this when I need something thicker than LVP (Luxury Vinyl Plank). It is somewhat scratch resistant.

6. Luxury Vinyl Plank.  I have used LifeProof at Home Depot.  This is very scratch resistant and extremely durable. I believe that this is the best product for rentals.  It is also water proof. The only caveat is if you have imperfections in subfloor, it is extremely thin, so you may have level issues. 

7.  Wood/engineered wood floors.  I had some properties with this type flooring.  It is absolutely the worst after carpeting.  It scratches easily and is prone to water damage.  The only exception that I have found in this group is some of the very hard wood types like bamboo or Brazilian Ebony.  These would be great for resisting scratches but could still be damaged by water.  However, these are usually extremely expensive, more than $5 a square foot.

SUMMARY   Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) is best for most rentals.