Replacing old flooring or installing a new one in your rental property is a major expense. Because it is, it's essential to make sure that you choose the best possible material. After all, rental properties go through a lot of wear and tear because of tenants who are less likely to treat a rental as if it was their own home. 

So today, we're going to discuss the common factors to consider when determining the right flooring. We'll also be presenting five flooring options. Read on. 

Factors to Consider When Choosing Flooring for Your Rental

To help you decide, think about these four factors:

1. Cost

Flooring cost is probably the first thing that a landlord worries about. This will vary depending on the type of flooring you'll go for and the installation cost. While it's tempting to choose the cheapest flooring, never make budget your only consideration. This leads us to the next factor...

2. Durability

Durability is the flooring's ability to withstand wear and tear over time. Avoid flooring that's only attractive yet easily cracks or breaks. You will want to avoid having to replace flooring which is going to be another costly expense!

3. Ease of maintenance

How easy is to flooring to clean and care for? This question should be asked especially when choosing a flooring material for the kitchen. In this case, the best option would be vinyl since it's resistant to many staining agents and can easily be cleaned by wiping the surface.

4. Safety

Safety should always be your priority. The last thing you would want is to face a lawsuit because of a slippery floor. Linoleum tiles, carpeting, and rubber are slip-resistant and ideal for senior citizens and people with disabilities.

5 Flooring Choices You Might Be Interested In

Before I present some flooring options, keep in mind that one type of flooring is best installed in a specific area of the rental. For example, carpeting is ideal for a bedroom while ceramic tile is ideal for a bathroom. 

1. Vinyl 

A synthetic flooring option, vinyl is commonly used for areas with high foot traffic - for example, kitchens and bathrooms. Vinyl tiles or sheets are also comfortable to the feet, cost-effective, and come in plenty of colors. However, colors tend to fade over time due to temperature extremes.

2. Carpet 

While carpet flooring offers warmth, comfort, and safety, landlords worry about its longevity. Also, dust and pet dander that collect in between the fibers can trigger allergies in sensitive individuals. It also easily collects dirt and stains. Not to mention, carpet flooring is expensive in the sense that you need to maintain it often. 

3. Rubber Flooring

Rubber floors are resilient and easy to care for. They're also water-resistant which makes them suitable for moist environments. In the past, rubber tiles used to come in black or grey but now there are more available colors that make a bathroom, garage area, or kitchen attractive.

4. Hardwood 

Hardwood floors are truly beautiful. You can choose from a wide variety of styles and wood types and they require minimal maintenance. However, they can be costly as one square foot can cost you $3 to $12. They also produce noise when stepped on especially if they're poorly installed or have gotten old.

5. Linoleum

Linoleum flooring is a popular choice for DIY projects. They're affordable like vinyl, and stylish too. Sweeping and mopping are two things you can do to maintain linoleum. Some brands add a special coating to linoleum to protect the material from scratches and fading.

If you’re ready, make Landlord Prep your go-to resource for landlording education. Here, we offer a complete DIY landlording course to get you on the right track. Join our academy today. If you want, you can check out Flavia’s real estate investing webinar first!