If you’re a new landlord or a more experienced landlord with a property to do up, you may wonder, ‘what is the best flooring to install in my property?’. There are a few things to consider when choosing flooring for a rental property and it is not a one-size-fits-all matter. We have compiled a list of different target tenants and which floors are the best for them.
Families
Young couples with children make up a large part of the renting demographic. They can be attractive tenants for landlords as they will likely want to make your property a home and treat it as their own. As a child needs stability, the parents will likely prioritise making rental payments and want to stay in one home for many years.
If you are looking to get tenants with young children, carpet is often a good choice. It will minimise noise disturbances from crying children or noises that can wake sleeping children. It also provides a much softer surface for taking those first steps and falls on.
Although carpet has the potential for stains and more visible wear and tear, it can be easily replaced when your tenants move out – without breaking the bank. A really bright white carpet can put potential families off, as they don’t want the responsibility of keeping it sparkling. So, if you choose to install carpet, opt for a neutral tone.
Students
Many landlords would not be brave enough to rent to students, however, there are a number of benefits to housing the nation’s academics. Student housing is always high in demand, meaning you are guaranteed rent and the chance of a property being empty is very low.
Also, student properties often gain a higher rate of rent than workers and the properties are often left unoccupied out of term times, which is great if you’re a landlord that includes bills.
In student properties, we recommend using laminate flooring. Not only will the chic design be more attractive to students, but it is easier to clean up those inevitable spills and removing stains will be a breeze compared to carpet. Laminate flooring can come with strong wear layers to help protect from scratches, but it also benefits from being cheap to replace, which can be necessary after a few cycles of tenants.
Young Professionals
When people move on from student life and start to earn some money, they want a place that’s going to reflect their style. Whether you have a city-centre apartment available to let out, or a suburban house, if you’re looking to rent to a professional, high-income tenant, you’ll need your property to stand out.
To try and earn the most income from your property, you could invest in some decent flooring. Engineered wood is an excellent option for these types of properties. Built with a solid wood veneer that emulates the aesthetic of solid wood, but with added wear layers to keep it protected, it offers the best of both worlds.
If you opt for engineered wood, you will be looking at a higher price tag than carpet or laminate, however, those top-quality aesthetics are desired by the highest earners, so can yield a bigger rental income.
Ready to Rent
Hopefully, you’ve found these ideas helpful or even inspirational. But if you’re still feeling a bit lost about what flooring to add to your rental property, or you’re not entirely sure about the tenants that you expect to move in, opt for cheaper flooring that’s easy to replace. It’s better to lose less now than add the most expensive flooring and end up having it destroyed by nightmare tenants.
There’s always a risk that you’ll have bad renters who don’t respect your home, and if you’re new to the landlord life it can take a while to get a good gauge of what type of people will be looking to move into your property. Unless you have more experience or know who will be moving into your property – it’s better to opt for cheaper resources until you get a better feel for being a landlord.
