Which Flooring for rental units?

General Landlording & Rental Properties
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Which Flooring for rental units?

Hamad Khan
Member since 2020 · 54 posts · 22 votes

Folks which flooring is most economical and best for rental units and in following area? I had a bad experience with vinyl click flooring as after a year or 2 joints cracks and gaps appears...

Living and family rooms

Kitchen

Washroom

Rooms

Hallway

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  • Bobby Lee
    Accountant · CA · Member since 2019 · 36 posts · 16 votes
    6y

    I'll likely have to replace the flooring in one of my rentals when my current tenants move out. I'm leaning toward the laminate flooring that looks like hardwood. It looks great at a much cheaper price. It's also more waterproof so you can put it all over the house, including the kitchen and bathrooms.

    I have this in another house, installed 5 or 6 years ago.

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  • Cameron TopePro Member
    Property Manager · Katy, TX · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    6y

    Hammad,

    We're using LVT or LVP for the majority of the house and tile in the wet-areas (kitchen & bathrooms). Make sure to get the waterproof model/brand. 

    [email protected]832-770-7090
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  • Pat L.
    Rental Property Investor · Upstate, NY · Member since 2012 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    6y

    I did notice some of the cheaper vinyl flooring friends have used is separating etc after a couple of years. We had a nightmare on a glue down vinyl application (partner decision) so never again on that thin stuff. But some of the >$3 sq ft vinyl-clickit we've used over the last 5 years has been great. In fact in our Lakehouse 1500 sq ft of it has survived 5 years of summers & cold winter shutdowns without any expansion/contraction issues.

    My BIL installed some >$4 sq ft vinyl-clickit over an old tile floored kitchen without any sub-padding. I expected to see the old 1/4 inch tile grout line indentations but nothing yet.

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  • Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
    6y

    Luxury vinyl plank. Looks great, easy to clean, won't retain odors, holds up to ordinary use, and can handle spills. I use it everywhere but the bedroom, when possible.

    The DIY Landlord Book4.7243 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
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  • Edi C.
    Atlanta, GA · Member since 2016 · 33 posts · 7 votes
    6y

    Recently I installed luxury vinyl plank flooring for the first time. It's more expensive than most laminates but I think it's worth the price difference because it's waterproof. As far as installation, it's been an easy-click floating flooring job. And if I come across a damaged area in the future, I think is not that hard to tackle. Just removing some sections of baseboard and "un-click" all necessary planks until I get to the damaged section. Then, replace, reassemble and finish installing again the baseboard section. Well, depending on the exact location of the damage the fix may be quicker or not.


    In the past I installed a nice and thick bamboo which looks and feels better than the vinyl to me. But for a rental I see this LVP as a great choice.  

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  • Dawn P.
    Rental Property Investor · Sumter, SC · Member since 2015 · 334 posts · 531 votes
    6y

    I'll never use a laminate floor in a rental again, it just doesn't hold up to kids and pets in my experience. 

    I've used the EVP from Lumber Liquidators in my last two rentals and have been very pleased with it. Doesn't dent like the cheaper LVP I got from Lowe's and hasn't separated, plus it has padding attached and has a more wood-like "feel" with the solid core they use. Spills won't hurt it and it's easy to clean. My newest tenants commented on it as soon as they first walked in the house. My crappy picture doesn't do it justice but it looks really nice in person:

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  • Sarah Brown
    Real Estate Agent · Nampa, ID · Member since 2017 · 439 posts · 361 votes
    6y

    LVP.  Holds up to just about anything, including water.  Make sure you follow the instructions on installation.  Depending on how thick it is will depend on how long your runs can be before you need a transition strip.  Make sure you leave a gap 1/8" between the floor and then wall.  It's a floating floor and if it can't move it will buckle and gap. 

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  • Jon H.
    Miami · Member since 2020 · 46 posts · 17 votes
    6y

    I’m curious if all the people that responded LVP would still use it for a flip property? Is it easy to notice the hollow feel of a floating floor? I haven’t used this product before but it definitely seems appealing.

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  • Hamad Khan
    OP
    Member since 2020 · 54 posts · 22 votes
    6y

    Folks when you say LVP or LVT which kind are you referring to? 

    glue down

    click one

    or Allure flooring type?

    i have used the cheap 4mm click LVP from homedepot and after a year too many clicks are either broken or gaps showing up.

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  • Steve Morris
    Real Estate Broker · Portland, OR · Member since 2019 · 4k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    6y

    Well, I think you need to address the installation or prep since I've used the linoleum plank for 10 years and it looks great and holds up.

    It costs more than carpet/sheet lino, but doesn't wear.  In addition in places like kitchens/baths you can put down a moisture barrier to keep water from the subfloor.

    On the engineered wood, haven't used it for a while, but my main complaints:

    1) Spill water on it like in a kitchen, it gets soaked up by the center layer and rots out.

    2) It used to be softer.  After a year of rocks on shoes walking on it, it looked like someone was wearing golf cleats all day long.

    They may have made it better, but still like the plank lino, especially since it looks like wood (instead of a decal), the patterns easy to match, and while your floor needs to be as good as possible for install, it conforms to minor stuff and allows some leeway.

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  • Steve Morris
    Real Estate Broker · Portland, OR · Member since 2019 · 4k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    6y

    "I’m curious if all the people that responded LVP would still use it for a flip property? Is it easy to notice the hollow feel of a floating floor? I haven’t used this product before but it definitely seems appealing."

    Get the moisture barrier/underlay.  I know it's more money, but fixes a lot of your complaints and adds to the marketability.

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  • Hamad Khan
    OP
    Member since 2020 · 54 posts · 22 votes
    6y

    Folks when you say LVP or LVT which kind are you referring to? 

    glue down

    click one

    or Allure flooring type?

    i have used the cheap 4mm click LVP from homedepot and after a year too many clicks are either broken or gaps showing up.

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  • Johann Jells
    Rental Property Investor · Jersey City, NJ · Member since 2011 · 1k+ posts · 876 votes
    6y

    All things being equal I prefer classic laminate at least 8mm thick. The newer stuff claims a 24 hr spill resistance. In kitchens I've been using Tranquility 5mm click vinyl planks from Lumber LIquidators, it's about $2/ft on sale and pretty good. I used it in a long stairwell hallway and got separations, but it was definitely longer than the reccoemnded run length. I also find that vinyl easier to cut but much harder to lay than classic laminate. Way more wrestling with it to get each piece in, it doesn't slide in the joints like laminate, tapping is much harder, and no good install can avoid tapping.

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  • Hamad Khan
    OP
    Member since 2020 · 54 posts · 22 votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Johann Jells:

    All things being equal I prefer classic laminate at least 8mm thick. The newer stuff claims a 24 hr spill resistance. In kitchens I've been using Tranquility 5mm click vinyl planks from Lumber LIquidators, it's about $2/ft on sale and pretty good. I used it in a long stairwell hallway and got separations, but it was definitely longer than the reccoemnded run length. I also find that vinyl easier to cut but much harder to lay than classic laminate. Way more wrestling with it to get each piece in, it doesn't slide in the joints like laminate, tapping is much harder, and no good install can avoid tapping.

     So for rental units would you recommend using click vinyl planks or 12mm laminate? I used 4mm luxury vinyl planks on my rental units for last 2 years and i am noticing that clicks have started to break now... 

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  • Johann Jells
    Rental Property Investor · Jersey City, NJ · Member since 2011 · 1k+ posts · 876 votes
    6y
    Originally posted by @Hamad Khan:
    Originally posted by @Johann Jells:

    All things being equal I prefer classic laminate at least 8mm thick. The newer stuff claims a 24 hr spill resistance. In kitchens I've been using Tranquility 5mm click vinyl planks from Lumber LIquidators, it's about $2/ft on sale and pretty good. I used it in a long stairwell hallway and got separations, but it was definitely longer than the reccoemnded run length. I also find that vinyl easier to cut but much harder to lay than classic laminate. Way more wrestling with it to get each piece in, it doesn't slide in the joints like laminate, tapping is much harder, and no good install can avoid tapping.

     So for rental units would you recommend using click vinyl planks or 12mm laminate? I used 4mm luxury vinyl planks on my rental units for last 2 years and i am noticing that clicks have started to break now... 

    I don't have any experience yet with the new water-resistant laminate, but that would be the direction I would go in the next time I'm laying flooring.  I'm turning over unit I put down 10 mm in 5 years ago and it still looks absolutely terrific. The 5mm vinyl in the kitchen I put down a few years before that looks pretty good, but some of the seams are starting to do that little curl up thing.

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  • Ray Lin
    Rental Property Investor · MS · Member since 2018 · 68 posts · 47 votes
    6y

    I use tiles for all my flooring, living room, kitchen, bath and all bedrooms. Laminate doesn't last too long, its easily chipped and damaged from water. Sometimes, the AC water can ruins the laminate flooring. Tiles are more expensive, but hopefully I won't need to replace the tiles for the next 10 years.

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