Would you cover hardwood floors?

[Travis Daudelin]

I've just purchased my first property: a duplex in I guess what I'd call a C- neighborhood. I'm hoping it will turn into a success story post soon, but TBD.

Both of the units have hardwood flooring in their main living rooms but the floors are in dire need of refinishing. Big scratches and discoloration throughout. Given the quality of tenants I'll likely be dealing with, I can't decide if I should refinish the floors and risk having them get scratched up again, or if I should cover them with something like luxury vinyl planking? I worry that every time I have to refinish the hardwood I reduce the life of the wood, and that eventually I'll have to replace the entire floor because it has been sanded down to the point it can't support the weight of the room. I plan on holding this property for 10+ years, so if I have to refinish the floor after every tenancy... could that be a real scenario?

Covering the hardwood with LVP instead I still run the risk of having to replace the planks after every tenancy but the hardwood is protected. When I go to sell some day I can just refinish the hardwood then.

Just in case it isn't obvious yet I should mention I am totally clueless about realistic expectations on floor care / maintenance. I'd love to hear the opinions of experts!