Flooring for a Rental Property

Rental Property Investor · Lexington, KY · Member since 2021 · 16 posts · 18 votes

Hello BP community!

I just purchased a duplex and need to replace the flooring in one of the units. Im obviously searching for the most affordable option to do so. Im open to carpet or laminate. It’s roughly 480 sq. ft of space.

From the experience of those who’ve gone through this before, what would you recommend? I’m not sure how difficult it would take to manually replace flooring, so I’m seeking the advice of others. Should I do the work myself? Or look at hiring someone to come and complete it?

Thank you for the help!

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Michael Evans

General Contractor · Palm Desert, CA · Member since 2016 · 193 posts · 79 votes

I would never put carpet in a rental. Vinyl plank is the only way to go unless you plan to replace the carpet every time you turn it over.

Good luck

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Dave MeyerPro Member
Head of Real Estate Investing at BiggerPockets · Seattle, WA · Member since 2015 · 224 posts · 826 votes
4y
I'd do luxury vinyl plank over either carpet or laminate. Better waterproofing than laminate for the price IMO. Floor & decor is good.
I wouldn't do the work yourself, not worth the time. If the floor is level then maybe you can do it yourself, but if no -- hire someone.
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Matthew Irvine
Real Estate Investor · Stamford, CT · Member since 2015 · 39 posts · 17 votes
4y
Few things to consider here. You mention price first, so I assume that is a pain point, you also mention doing it yourself. There is a consistent theme in the responses you are getting and it is accurate in the broad sense; go with LVP. As a contractor and owner of 60+ units I would caution you to explore further. LVP products, along with cheaper alternatives(laminate) are very easy to install on a FLAT surface. The cheaper the product the more FLAT the surface must be, and even with expensive products you need expertise to install on uneven floors. Sooo, make sure you understand the quality of your surface before choosing LVP and especially before attempting yourself(I have done many floors that failed in year 4/5, seperation at joints)

Second consideration, how long do you plan on owning this property? If its for a long time I would consider #inflationproofing your property. What I mean by that is installing products that will outlast your ownership. An LVP flooring that will last 7-15 years will need to be demo'd and replaced at much higher labor and disposal costs, and the replacement flooring could be 50%+ higher then it is today. Now you could just account for this in your reserves but I doubt anyone properly budgeted for material spikes of 2020/2021(I know I didn't). Happy to go into more detail if your into exploring other options.
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Bruce WoodruffPro Member
Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
4y
@Matthew Irvine Has a great point about the slab being flat. I have also seen vinyl fail on uneven surfaces....the click-joints will separate. Especially on a second floor where you're installing over plywood, you need a really great (read expensive) underlayment....
I prefer engineered wood since it is way more forgiving (can be floated or shimmed) and looks way better. But you cannot install yourself, unless you have experience....
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Matthew Irvine
Real Estate Investor · Stamford, CT · Member since 2015 · 39 posts · 17 votes
4y
@Bruce Woodruff - I remodel in CT were homes are 100+ years old and the floors we are dealing with are crazy. I now only use 1/2" engineered hardwood(staple down application) in my main spaces/common areas and carpets in the bedrooms. I will see how this works out over time, but I am optimistic that it is better then my previous template of laminate floating click floors.
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Bruce WoodruffPro Member
Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
4y
Quote from @Matthew Irvine:

@Bruce Woodruff - I remodel in CT were homes are 100+ years old and the floors we are dealing with are crazy. I now only use 1/2" engineered hardwood(staple down application) in my main spaces/common areas and carpets in the bedrooms. I will see how this works out over time, but I am optimistic that it is better then my previous template of laminate floating click floors.

Yes! You will find that the engineered wood, particularly staple or nail down, will allow for a out-of-level sub-floor much better than vinyl.
I would recommend getting a nailgun made for this and blind-nail the floor....looks better and stronger too.....
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