Investor guide: the best low-maintenance flooring for rentals

For property investors, flooring is always an important consideration. The style, quality, feel and colour of flooring can significantly influence the attractiveness and rental return along with property resale value.

Yes, the cost of flooring installation and the complexity of ongoing maintenance are major deliberations for a landlord.

Many rental properties have a relatively high tenant turnover rate and might have a colourful mix of tenants over the years, including:

• students
• families with young children
• pet owners.

It often makes the most sense to go for a low-maintenance flooring option that will best enable you to maintain the quality and presentability of your property for years to come.

Style vs. ROI for low-maintenance rental flooring

With any renovation, refurbishment or new-build rental project, low-maintenance and hard-wearing options almost always make a lot of sense.

Flooring that requires complex maintenance – up to having to remove all furniture – make routine jobs between tenants more complex and expensive. And are tenants really going to care that much for your finicky floors?

When, however, you go for a low-maintenance option, it simplifies the cleaning and care job for tenants while minimising restoration or repairs to coordinate between tenancies.

The top low-maintenance flooring options we offer include:

• Vinyl
• Laminate
• Hybrid flooring
• Carpet

Yes – low-maintenance flooring can have luxury appeal

The quality and desirability of your home must match the level of rent you’re seeking. High-end renters will expect a more luxurious feel … which can cost much more to install. Meanwhile, a clean, presentable low-maintenance flooring type will easily satisfy a low-budget housing tenant.

You might think that carpet is always a good home option. It provides a warm, soft and welcoming feel and there are certainly attractive options for a relatively low up-front investment. However, carpets require regular professional cleaning.

Further, carpets are not always the best option for high-traffic areas – they simply wear out over time. And would you really want a carpeted kitchen, toilet, laundry or bathroom? Keep them for bedrooms and maybe living rooms.

To capitalise on the feel of carpet at an affordable price point, we suggest using a hard-wearing polypropylene carpet in the bedrooms and living areas. The rest of the house can be hard flooring.

Upfront flooring costs vs. durability

When you’re selecting low-maintenance rental flooring, remember to stay pragmatic. Make the choice based on your investment goals. Ask yourself:

• Who is going to live in your rental property?
• What are their durability requirements?
• What is the value/expected value of the home?

The simplest flooring options to install are vinyl, laminate, hybrid and carpet. None of these require much preparation in “dry rooms”. In rooms with plumbing, some waterproofing prior to flooring installation will be needed. And this means downtime.

Also, bear in mind that while tile and hardwood floors look appealing, they’re usually the most difficult and expensive to install. In fact, tile is often heavy enough that it can only be placed on the ground floor of some two-storey properties.

Knowing the best low-maintenance flooring option for your rental property can be overwhelming. There are so many factors to balance.

Parrys is here to help. Our flooring consultants can show you through our complete showroom and discuss your rental flooring needs in-depth. Speak to us today.

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