Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2008 · 557 posts · 70 votes
I am getting my primary condo rent ready. Unfortunately there was a cat incident while I was away, and I believe the awesome berber carpet I had will not recover - sad because it was three years old and probably would have lasted another twelve.
Anyhow, I am shopping for landlord carpet now, not primary residence carpet. I am wondering what most experienced landlords here recommend in terms of carpet type and cost. Pergo and such is not an option; there is too much cement work required.
Real Estate Investor · the villages, FL · Member since 2008 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
17y
Where I am, tile floors can be laid for less than $2 per sq. ft, iNCUDING labor and materials. I'm willing to pay the $18 sq. yd and ALMOST never having to replace it. Bedrooms are carpet and everything else is tile. In long run, works out cheaper than carpet. Remeber, most of my properties are buy and hold.
Real Estate Investor · OH · Member since 2008 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
17y
CHEAP! That's the key to putting carpet in rentals. As you've already seen, tenants will destroy whatever carpet you put in, so it is pointless to put in expensive carpet. I also don't put carpet pad in low income rentals because it holds fluids (and the smell). Carpet pad can also break down and essentially become glued to the floor.
I am currently buying a dark commercial carpet from Lowes for about 55 cents per square foot. I no longer use Berber because tenants aren't smart enough to cut off snags (even if the reason is carefully explained). So, you end up with carpet that has been destroyed when snags get caught in their vacuum and run all the way across the room.
Real Estate Investor · OH · Member since 2008 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
17y
Jeff,
The real answer is that it depends on the individual tenant. I have some tenants (mainly in my nicer SFHs) that treat their rental as if it were their home. In those cases, the carpet should last for 10 or 15 years, just like carpet lasts in my own house.
Low income tenants often live like pigs and are very hard on the carpet. I frequently change carpet that is only a year or two old. It never wears out, it is destroyed with candle wax; with cigarette burns (or worse); with paint; by spills that are never cleaned up; by pets that urinate in the house; etc.
I use the dye primarily on lighter colored carpet that is stained. The dark dye will cover many of those stains and allow the carpet to go another year or two. The carpet that I'm installing now is already dark and won't benefit from dyeing.
Lender · Omaha, NE · Member since 2008 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
17y
I have also used cheap frieze ($.78 sq/ft) on a couple of my higher-end rentals. I bought the dark kind with speckles and a couple other colors mixed in. It appears to hide stains better than the one-color type.
Time will tell, though- I just installed it last year.
Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2008 · 557 posts · 70 votes
17y
Thanks everyone. Great info. I will investigate Lowes, and the frieze as well.
On an unrelated note the carpet repair guy keeps telling me he can get the smell down to minimal by replacing the pad, tacking strip, and using industrial cleaner on the carpet. I am skeptical though. The stain just barely made it underneath the carpet, but barely touched the pad. Either way, I don't think minimal works for marketing a rental.
Financial Advisor · Tampa Area, FL · Member since 2008 · 956 posts · 214 votes
17y
Matty,
What kind of cat 'incident' would require the replacing of tack strip? LOL
Personally, if I were you, and this is a rental, I would rip up the old carpet, cut out the pad that the issue is on and replace only that area (why pay to have the whole room re-padded?) and then get some of the home depot/lowes cheap stuff. I have also heard of people needing to bleach underneath the pad where the 'issue' occurred to really get the stank out.
I purchased my primary in March and used the cheap stuff in my master with a quality pad (that was already there) and the carpet is INCREDIBLY comfortable.
Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2008 · 557 posts · 70 votes
17y
This is a great idea. I thought of a similar idea on the fly at home depot. They rig it so if you don't go with a new pad they bump up the installation charges and do not guarantee the installation. It ends up costing more! But maybe if I use Lowes...
I was even thinking patch/insert job on the damaged area. But the type of berber (ultra tight loop super high quality) would show the seams plain as day. I was kicking around the idea of showing a rental with an obvious insert/patch job. It is located in a highly visible area.
Originally posted by Josh Green:
Personally, if I were you, and this is a rental, I would rip up the old carpet, cut out the pad that the issue is on and replace only that area (why pay to have the whole room re-padded?) and then get some of the home depot/lowes cheap stuff. I have also heard of people needing to bleach underneath the pad where the 'issue' occurred to really get the stank out.
I purchased my primary in March and used the cheap stuff in my master with a quality pad (that was already there) and the carpet is INCREDIBLY comfortable.
Financial Advisor · Tampa Area, FL · Member since 2008 · 956 posts · 214 votes
17y
forget having home depot install. call up a local (independent) carpet installer and i guarantee it will be cheaper. let the guy know that you have rentals and may be looking to use him for future gigs.
i was quoted $250 for HD to install my last carpet job. i went into a local carpet warehouse and got the card of a guy they contract out to and he did an install and even hauled away the old stuff for $80. (i didn't need new pad or tack strip).
Contractor · Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2008 · 183 posts · 17 votes
17y
Since you have cement below the carpeting, have you considered a stained floor leveling compound or cement layer? The tenant could then lay area rugs and you would never have to install carpeting again. The cement materials can be varnished and look very nice.
Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2008 · 557 posts · 70 votes
17y
I did think about that when I originally was going for hardwood or pergo stuff a few years ago, and learned the cement was too damaged. I never got around to finding out how much that would cost. I was a little hesitant because the rooms echoed loudly with the carpet up/cement exposed. Not sure if that is common. I am on the second level, too. So the people below may complain. And the HOA does try and enforce an approval process for upper level hard floor jobs.
Maybe I will re investigate that, too. Thanks Diane
Originally posted by Diane Menke:
Since you have cement below the carpeting, have you considered a stained floor leveling compound or cement layer? The tenant could then lay area rugs and you would never have to install carpeting again. The cement materials can be varnished and look very nice.
Real Estate Investor · OH · Member since 2008 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
17y
I have never used frieze carpet, but I think anything is worth a try. Let us know how it goes!
Pads are counter-productive in rentals. I don't think the guarantee on the installation is anything to be concerned about. Do they guarantee that the tenants won't destroy the carpet if you buy padding? Will they rent a sander to remove the pad once it's stuck like concrete to the floor? Will they guarantee the carpet when the moron tenant melts an entire candle into your carpet? Will they guarantee the carpet against cigarette burns or burns from a flash-bang grenade? I doubt it!
Never remove the tack strips. When the tenant ruins the carpet, you can pull up the old carpet and install new carpet very easily and quickly if there is no pad and the tack strips are left in place!
You can also install your own carpet. It is not that hard, you just need to buy the cutter that slides along your base board and cuts it just a little short and then I rent the lever strecher from the rental place. It is a little labor intensive but it really isnt that bad. I buy the lowes 55 cent also and it looks realy good.
Real Estate Investor · Harrisburg, PA · Member since 2008 · 716 posts · 41 votes
17y
Originally posted by MikeOH:
Never remove the tack strips. When the tenant ruins the carpet, you can pull up the old carpet and install new carpet very easily and quickly if there is no pad and the tack strips are left in place!
We had some incidents where pets have used the corner or the wall to do their business. Therefore, the tack strip is damaged in that area. This is a case in which selected pieces of the tack strip would need to be removed and replaced.
Of course, that begs the question: to allow pets or not? Which is a topic for another thread.
Real Estate Investor · the villages, FL · Member since 2008 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
17y
Where I am, tile floors can be laid for less than $2 per sq. ft, iNCUDING labor and materials. I'm willing to pay the $18 sq. yd and ALMOST never having to replace it. Bedrooms are carpet and everything else is tile. In long run, works out cheaper than carpet. Remeber, most of my properties are buy and hold.
Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2008 · 557 posts · 70 votes
17y
That is something I will look into as well. Thanks Rich.
I wonder if the cement damage is too bad for tile. I am in earthquake land. Not only does the floor dip/bow towards the center of one room,, but it has some cracks, too. One crack is so bad that one side of the floor is a little higher, maybe a quarter inch, than the other side where it meets the wall.
I am guessing any hard flooring in my case means having a new cement layer.
I almost have the smell out. But it's cold in California right now. Only summer/hot weather will convey the truth.
Originally posted by Rich Weese:
Where I am, tile floors can be laid for less than $2 per sq. ft, iNCUDING labor and materials. I'm willing to pay the $18 sq. yd and ALMOST never having to replace it. Bedrooms are carpet and everything else is tile. In long run, works out cheaper than carpet. Remeber, most of my properties are buy and hold.
Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2008 · 244 posts · 36 votes
17y
I will paint my next floor a nice dark brown color, If not a dark brown berber will do with no pad. this is the 1st time I will not use pad, makes a lot of sense and saves money.
Rental Property Investor · Greenwood, MO · Member since 2009 · 152 posts · 17 votes
17y
From an ex-carpet cleaners point of view - one who was ceritified as an official Odor Control Technician, I'll have you know (lol) - the only way we could guarantee the complete odor removal was to replace the pad and seal the floor with a shellac-type sealer. My parents house reaked of pet urine before they moved in and after removing the carpet the entire concrete slab was spraye with Kilz and that took care of all the odor.
Residential Real Estate Broker · Grand Blanc, MI · Member since 2008 · 885 posts · 316 votes
17y
A conventional berber is the worst thing for a rental property. As already stated by Mike, if a snag occurs and continues, the whole row will be missing.
I buy only cheap carpet with good 8 lb. pad. I can typically get 5-6 years out of it. In between tenants I use a Bissel steam cleaner to restore it as well as possible.
Anyone else use the carpet tiles? They can be easily replaced if one is damaged. I have them in two of my rentals. Plus, installing them is as simple as laying them on the floor. I prefer the 1 meter tiles but also have used the 18" tiles.
Residential Lender · Elk Grove, CA · Member since 2009 · 32 posts · 0 votes
17y
In my rentals I prefer to put some type of "hard wood" option. Carpet has been a real pain and only last 5 years tops. In fact I am luck to get that much life out of it. I also think I get more interest in the units because there is not carpet.
PITTSBURGH, PA · Member since 2016 · 28 posts · 11 votes
10y
When ever you Install the cheap carpet from home Depot, is it the indoor or door high traffic stuff? I'm looking to install some in my first rental property