Carpet for rental unit? Yes? No?

General Landlording & Rental Properties

Carpet for rental unit? Yes? No?

Rental Property Investor · San Francisco, CA · Member since 2019 · 60 posts · 17 votes

Hey BP folks,

Hope everyone is doing well considering this whole COVID-19 issue the World is currently experiencing. Stay safe and keep up the good hygiene!

Even though this virus is going around, I am still focusing on my goals, so I'd like your insight/experience on this question. Should I have carpet installed over hardwood floors in my SFH, or is this a bad idea? I own a two story SFH in the Bay Area and the upper level is all original hardwood. I currently have a tenant residing in the lower lever, and am considering getting carpet in the rooms above the tenant to deaden the sound (footsteps, loud noises, etc.)

Would you recommend carpeting over the hardwood? Why or why not?

If yes, could you share any insight on the to best approach on this? Is there a certain low maintenance type of carpet I should be considering, extra padding, a way to preserve the hardwood, etc.?

Pleas share your thoughts on this...

Thanks!!

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Rod HanksBusiness Member

Insurance Agent · Dallas, TX · Member since 2013 · 743 posts · 462 votes

6y

@Jay Maranan

Never do carpet in a rental, you would have to replace it every couple years when tenant leaves. I only do vinyl tile because it’s cheap, easy to maintain and very durable. But in your case I would just leave the hardwood floors as-is

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Wholesaler · Jacksonville, FL · Member since 2019 · 55 posts · 47 votes
6y
I use LVP- Luxury Vinyl Planking for all of my rental properties. It's cheap, lasts long, and is easy to install. I would not recommend carpet as it is susceptible to stains/dirt and heavy wear.
2 Reply
Jay Maranan
OP
Rental Property Investor · San Francisco, CA · Member since 2019 · 60 posts · 17 votes
6y
@Shawn Mcenteer thanks for the input. I do like the low maintenance aspect of vinyl flooring.
0 Reply
Jay Maranan
OP
Rental Property Investor · San Francisco, CA · Member since 2019 · 60 posts · 17 votes
6y
@Nathan Claire thanks! I have LVP installed in the lower unit and I agree with what you mentioned. I’m definitely staying away from carpet after getting great feedback from everyone in this discussion. Thanks again!
0 Reply
Judy Parker
Rental Property Investor · Closter, NJ · Member since 2015 · 884 posts · 722 votes
6y
No carpet. Tenants complain about allergies, pet dander, etc., plus carpet gets filthy and has to be replaced frequently. Go for the luxury vinyl planks (thick gauge).
2 Reply
Isaac S.
Member since 2018 · 563 posts · 562 votes
6y
@Jay Maranan just an FYI, my primary property is 5 stories, of which almost all the carpet in the units has been removed(90%)...the original flooring is beautiful oak, that was original installed over 90 years ago, however, the units that just have the carpet torn up, sanded and stained the original flooring are much louder that the units, that I lay down subfloor, underlayment foam, and new floors over the original solid wood(I know it is sinful to purists, to not refinish the original wood, but it cost more, takes longer, is louder, and less isolation of bugs, and leaves some of the earthquake retrofit hardware exposed, if I do that) ....BUT, with carpet and/or wood floors it will be noisey...that's why the 5th floor are the "PentHouse" units, since no upstairs neighbors, even though identical layout to the below units, they can demand a bit of premium, especially if your new tenant has lived in apartments before.
My point is that upstairs neighbors are noisy!!! Some people walk very "heavy footed", some people unconsciously tap their foot, pace back and forth, etc....even just dropping the remote control for an xbox can make noise that sound like you are dropping a hammer....the area rugs will help, but, sometimes the downstairs tenant cant handle living underneath, sometimes the upstairs tenant can't manage to not be a naturally(unintentional) noisy neighbor, and other times one of them is just a psycho.
Of the hundreds of tenants I have had at that building, I would say most try their best to walk softly and be aware of the neighbors(especially if you have soft way of encouraging that type of empathy), and the ones that are not good at living below people, eventually move. Its pretty low percentage that can't handle it or are noisy nellies, or the aforementioned psychos.
Best of luck finding out who is who.
1 Reply
Jackson Burdett
Flipper/Rehabber · Member since 2020 · 6 posts · 3 votes
6y
@Jay Maranan
I’m Jackson, I’m 17 and want to get into the Landlord Business. My grandmother owns her own apartment complex, and whenever a tenant moves out the carpet is often dirty. I probably don’t know as much as you guys, but it is a pain to clean up the carpet.
1 Reply
Steve HyznyPro Member
Investor · cedar lake, IN · Member since 2017 · 32 posts · 18 votes
6y
I would recommend the vinyl flooring that does not use glue and use the padding under it to dampen the sound. this way you preserve the hardwood and provide a little relief from the sounds above.
You also need to consider if you will ever not use the building for a rental. If its always a rental and not your home, do you really need to worry about preserving the hardwood floors?
1 Reply
Jay Maranan
OP
Rental Property Investor · San Francisco, CA · Member since 2019 · 60 posts · 17 votes
6y
@Judy Parker thanks! I didn’t even think about allergies even though I have allergies myself. Thanks again for the insight!
1 Reply
Jay Maranan
OP
Rental Property Investor · San Francisco, CA · Member since 2019 · 60 posts · 17 votes
6y
@Isaac S. thanks for sharing your past/present experiences on this. It’s very helpful for me to hear of some scenarios to paint a better picture of how things can be. Great info thanks!
1 Reply
Jay Maranan
OP
Rental Property Investor · San Francisco, CA · Member since 2019 · 60 posts · 17 votes
6y
@Jackson Burdett you’re way ahead of me believe it or not. If you stick with real estate investing (whatever strategy works best for you at any given moment) you’ll be exactly what you want to be... A real estate investor and landlord. My recommendation is read real estate related books (Rich Dad Poor Dad is a good one if you haven’t read it yet), listen to all of BP podcast episodes, save as much money as possible, aim to get a 700+ score and keep networking and talking to people that are in the real estate business. Maybe your Grandmother would be a great person to talk to about your goals and ambition! Good luck on whatever you do!
0 Reply
Jay Maranan
OP
Rental Property Investor · San Francisco, CA · Member since 2019 · 60 posts · 17 votes
6y
@Steve Hyzny both really great points! Since the property will be a rental, I suppose preserving the floor isn’t a huge deal. I just wanted to maintain the property in great condition as much as possible with consideration for the lower unit tenants. Thanks for sharing the LVP and padding idea!
0 Reply
Heath Jones
Rental Property Investor · Enterprise, AL · Member since 2019 · 137 posts · 85 votes
6y
@Jay Maranan
Personally, I’m working to move all my apartment units and rentals to be as carpet free as possible. I’m going with LVP that is section wherever I can.
3 Reply
Jackson Burdett
Flipper/Rehabber · Member since 2020 · 6 posts · 3 votes
6y
@Jay Maranan
Thank you so much! I really appreciate the advice, I haven’t read that book yet but will definitely make time!
Good luck with your floor:)
1 Reply
Jay Maranan
OP
Rental Property Investor · San Francisco, CA · Member since 2019 · 60 posts · 17 votes
6y
@Heath Jones thanks for your feedback! I definitely like the look of LVP and the cost is fairly reasonable. I’m staying away from carpet for this property. Thanks again!
1 Reply
Jay Maranan
OP
Rental Property Investor · San Francisco, CA · Member since 2019 · 60 posts · 17 votes
6y
@Jackson Burdett No problem and thanks!
0 Reply
Selina Banda
La Vergne, TN · Member since 2016 · 93 posts · 28 votes
6y
@Rod Hanks definitely
1 Reply
Austin Patenaude
Accountant · Avon, CT · Member since 2019 · 18 posts · 8 votes
6y
@Martin Neal hey Martin, do you find in small spaces, carpet helps separate the areas (living room vs bedroom)? I have a 950sq/ft SFH/condo like dwelling and an trying to decipher between carpet vs LVP. Any thoughts? Anyone else feel free to chime in.
0 Reply
Austin Patenaude
Accountant · Avon, CT · Member since 2019 · 18 posts · 8 votes
6y
@Austin Patenaude only for bedroom *** doing LVP in living area
0 Reply
Martin NealPro Member
Rental Property Investor · Chicago, IL · Member since 2017 · 293 posts · 383 votes
6y
@Austin Patenaude Sounds like you are referring to a studio. You can do that, however it's not necessary. I recommend the LVP, higher ROI than carpet.
2 Reply
Hourmat Abdul Rauf
Developer · Boston, MA · Member since 2019 · 8 posts · 4 votes
6y
@Jay Maranan
Hey Jay,
Hope all is well.
I wouldn’t do carpet over hardwood because you’d have to change it every other year or so. Keep the hardwood.
Thanks
1 Reply
Marlen Weber
Specialist · Plano, TX · Member since 2020 · 2k+ posts · 861 votes
6y
@Jay Maranan I hope you are staying safe as well. As for your question, I would recommend staying away from carpet if you're renting. The upkeep is too much for what it's worth. As previously mentioned, most tenants have area rugs so hardwood or any other flooring shouldn't be an issue.
1 Reply
Jay Maranan
OP
Rental Property Investor · San Francisco, CA · Member since 2019 · 60 posts · 17 votes
6y
@Hourmat Abdul Rauf thanks! Yes I’m realizing more and more the value of hardwood. I’ve decided to stick with it. Thanks again!
0 Reply
Jay Maranan
OP
Rental Property Investor · San Francisco, CA · Member since 2019 · 60 posts · 17 votes
6y
@Marlen Weber thank you! Yes I’ve decided to stick with the hardwood. I actually appreciate hardwood and the overall look and value it holds. Since the property is hardwood throughout, my rental agreement states that the tenant is to add a carpet/area rug to cover 80% of the floor, so I should be ok. Thanks again!
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