Introduction
If you are a landlord, you may be wondering what is the best flooring to install in your rental property. Ideally, you want a floorcovering that is affordable, durable and easy to maintain, so what options do you have available to you? Well, this article aims to provide you with a rundown of the best floors available for use in a rental property.
Luxury Vinyl Tiles in Rental Properties
Luxury vinyl tiles are an affordable hard flooring coming in at around £20-40 per square metre for a good quality tile. Importantly, LVTs are very durable meaning they can withstand heavy footfall from tenants and knocks and spills. Luxury vinyl tiles are also easy to maintain meaning that your tenant can easily keep them clean saving you time and money in the long run. If you are a handy landlord, then you could even DIY install click-and-lock luxury vinyl tiles in your rental property to further save you money. In terms of design, luxury vinyl tiles can often be found in stone and wood finishes which can create a natural homely feel in your rental space. LVT Flooring may just be the perfect hard floorcovering for a rental property.
Sheet Vinyl in Rental Properties
Sheet vinyl boasts many of the same qualities as luxury vinyl tiles, such as value for money (£20-40 per square metre), durability and easy maintenance. This makes it a great choice for rental properties. One disadvantage might be the complicated installation process of sheet vinyl. This means that as a landlord, you will likely need to pay a flooring professional to install this floorcovering for you, which will incur an extra cost. In terms of design, sheet vinyl can be easily found replicating stone and wood for that natural, homely finish. Definitely a strong choice for a rental property.
Laminate Flooring in Rental Properties
Laminate flooring tends to come in cheaper than luxury vinyl tiles at £15-35 per square metre. Whilst durable in its own right, laminate flooring is perhaps not as durable as luxury vinyl tiles. Laminate is easy to maintain like LVT – a simple sweeping and mopping routine is enough to keep these floors in good condition. One consideration is that luxury vinyl tiles are waterproof thanks to their PVC-core; whereas, laminate is not waterproof due to its wooden-core. This means that if you have negligent tenants that do not spot clean spillages quickly, then your laminate floor could suffer water damage. Laminate flooring replicates the look of real wood flooring beautifully, but this tends to be your only design option. Laminate flooring is a solid choice for rental properties, though maybe not as strong a choice as LVT.
Tiled Floors in Rental Properties
By tiled floors, we mean ceramic, porcelain and natural stone tiled floors. These beautiful natural floors are more expensive coming in at around £40-80 per square metre. Furthermore, ceramic, porcelain and natural stone tiles will likely need a professional floor fitter to install them for you, which will be an additional cost that you incur as a landlord. But with those negatives out of the way, lets look at the positives. These natural tiles are extremely durable, they can be sealed to make them waterproof, and they are easy to maintain with a simple mopping and sweeping routine. Finally, there are a range of design options available from ceramic to porcelain to stone, from big tiles to small tiles, from smooth texture to rough texture, etc… your design options are endless! Natural tiles are an expensive choice for a rental property, but a very durable choice!
Carpets in Rental Properties
As a landlord, if you want your flooring to be soft, then carpet is your choice. Sheet carpet is perhaps the most affordable floorcovering option available starting off as low as £15 per square metre. As long as your tenant has a vacuum cleaner and uses it regularly, you should get reasonable life out of your carpet as a landlord. Spillages and stains are much harder to remove from soft floors than hard floors so bear that in mind. Also, tenants with allergies may suffer more, as carpet fibres are good at trapping allergens. If you want a soft floor finish, but with even easier maintenance, then consider using carpet tiles as the piles are usually shorter and denser. Also, if a carpet tile succumbs to serious damages, then you lift it out and replace it with a new one. Carpets are your only soft floor option, but as a landlord you may want to consider carpet tiles ahead of sheet carpet.
Wood in Rental Properties
Real wood flooring is expensive at £50-60 per square metre. It is also tricky to install and will require a professional floor fitter that will come with a fee. Furthermore, every few years, real wood floors benefit from a re-sanding and resealing, which again is a cost that you probably do not want to incur as a landlord. Also, real wood is prone to water damage and can be easily scratched. Basically, all things considered, real wood is not the best choice of flooring for a rental property.
Conclusion
So there you have it, if you are a landlord you now have some answers to the question “what is the best floor for your rental property?”. In first place is luxury vinyl tiles, closely followed by sheet vinyl. If you are after a soft floorcovering, then carpet tiles are a great choice, followed by sheet carpet. If you need a budget hard floor option then consider laminate. Unless you are really willing to splash the cash for your tenants, then stay away from ceramic, porcelain and natural stone tiles along with real wood flooring. Feel free to browse Flooring Hut’s extensive range of flooring many of which are perfect for use in rental properties. You can also make use of our supply and fit service, which allows you to select a local and vetted floor fitter to complete the installation for you in your rental space. We wish you many years of hassle-free land lording and your tenants many years of happy renting with your beautiful floors.
