Shower door or shower curtain?

General Landlording & Rental Properties
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Shower door or shower curtain?

Waleep Alvi
Investor · Oakland, CA · Member since 2020 · 108 posts · 89 votes

I am in the remodeling my rental property. My contractor is willing to install either a shower door or a curtain. I know the curtain rod will be a lot easier for him to install. For long term rental, which would be more preferred? 

Any suggestions?

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Joe Aiola
Real Estate Agent · Fleetwood, NY · Member since 2018 · 264 posts · 235 votes
5y

@Waleep Alvi all good points made by @Tanner Sherman @Bjorn Ahlblad and @Sharlene Mulchandani. I would just ask yourself what kind of rental are you going for? Obviously glass looks nicer and is more appealing to a tenant, but not something that necessarily drives up the rent price. If you have a recently remodeled place then I would say go with the glass to complete the look. If it's just a standard rental, then go with the shower curtain. 

Never a bad idea to look at the comps - this should help give you some direction based on your specific market. Best of luck!

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  • Tanner Sherman
    Real Estate Broker · Omaha, NE · Member since 2020 · 329 posts · 203 votes
    5y

    Honestly, I really love this question. I would have to say that the curtain rod would be easier, but if you are worried about caulking and don't want to risk water damage then the glass doors might be worth the investment. I have kids and I know damn well they do not always close the curtain and I especially know when the tiles in the bathroom become uneven because of the water that gets trapped under them. 

    To be honest, I would still go with the curtain. But hopefully I gave a good devil's advocate perspective. 

    1Reply
  • Bjorn AhlbladPro Member
    Investor · Shelton, WA · Member since 2017 · 6k+ posts · 6k+ votes
    5y

    @Waleep Alvi A curtain is simple and one tenth the cost and you don't have to squeegee it. It is a no brainer; it is curtains for me. 

    0Reply
  • Sharlene Mulchandani
    Cincinnati, OH · Member since 2020 · 299 posts · 476 votes
    5y

    @Waleep Alvi I suggest going with shower curtains. I don't think most tenants would do a good job of keeping the door clean. You would then end up spending time cleaning it once they've moved out, or would hire someone to clean it. With shower curtains, it's much easier to throw out the old curtain and put up a new one (that is if you're providing the curtain).

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  • Joe Aiola
    Real Estate Agent · Fleetwood, NY · Member since 2018 · 264 posts · 235 votes
    5y

    @Waleep Alvi all good points made by @Tanner Sherman @Bjorn Ahlblad and @Sharlene Mulchandani. I would just ask yourself what kind of rental are you going for? Obviously glass looks nicer and is more appealing to a tenant, but not something that necessarily drives up the rent price. If you have a recently remodeled place then I would say go with the glass to complete the look. If it's just a standard rental, then go with the shower curtain. 

    Never a bad idea to look at the comps - this should help give you some direction based on your specific market. Best of luck!

    3Reply
  • Pat L.
    Rental Property Investor · Upstate, NY · Member since 2012 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    5y

    is it just a shower stall or a tub configuration ?

    If its just a shower stall we have gone with curtains on the smaller 3-4ft access installs, but again with kids & the new lower base heights you're going to have spillage so the flooring better be resilient to such a deluge. On a tub most like a glass door but kids tend to slam them so we have had to repair some of the cheaper models coming off the track. 

    In future I would go with frameless shower stall doors if there's room & skip them completely on tubs.

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  • Theresa HarrisPro Member
    Member since 2019 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
    5y

    I'd go with a curtain rod.  If it was my personal home, I'd have a curtain if there is a tub/shower combination, but a glass door if it is a stand alone shower.

    1Reply
  • Michael Noto
    Real Estate Agent · Southington, CT · Member since 2008 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    5y

    This depends on the class of tenant you expect. B or A do either. C or lower I would just put a rod and shower curtain up. 

    0Reply
  • Max T.
    Investor · Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2015 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    5y

    @Waleep Alvi

    I remodel bathrooms to be very high end in my rentals, yet I do not use a glass door and I don’t even provide the curtain rod. The bathrooms show better when the prospective tenants can see the full tile surround and they can get their own tension style curtain rod and curtain. Glass doors are expensive to replace and install. Save yourself some money here and put it somewhere else.

    3Reply
  • Enrico Angella
    Rental Property Investor · Rome Italy · Member since 2020 · 42 posts · 19 votes
    5y

    @Waleep Alvi

    Such a good question!

    I would definitely opt for the shower curtains. The few times I installed shower doors I had to change them every new move in.

    0Reply
  • Jill F.
    Investor · Akron, OH · Member since 2016 · 2k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    5y

    I had a tenant tell me when I was considering it that he prefers a curved curtain rod because he is a big guy and needs the extra room.

    0Reply
  • Jimmy Chao
    Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2019 · 132 posts · 91 votes
    5y

    There are shower doors and shower doors. The one's at the box stores are inexpensive and easy to install and the new good looking heavy glass one's have to be professionally installed (pretty much) and are very pricey.

    You can just put up a clear plastic liner if you want the bathroom to look a little more finished for no money and the tenant can put a decorative one over it if they prefer.

    I guess the glass door are a little better at keeping most of the water off the floor but most people do alright with the shower curtains.

    0Reply
  • Andrew B.
    Rockaway, NJ · Member since 2016 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    5y

    If it's A class, you may consider a shower door as it looks nicer and will probably be taken care of more. If it's B or below, you probably want a curtain which wont shatter or need cleaning. 

    Look at similar rentals in the area and see what they use. 

    If I had to pick without knowing anything, I'd go with the curtain rod.

    0Reply
  • Dominic R.
    Bethany, CT · Member since 2017 · 37 posts · 16 votes
    5y

    My PM rented out an apartment (not Mine) to some students from India.  Seems they never heard of shower curtains.  Shortly after the first floor ceiling collapsed.  I think the owner would vote for doors.

    0Reply
  • Dennis Wayne
    Member since 2020 · 339 posts · 356 votes
    5y

    You should ask yourself “what will this bring in for more rent ?? “ If the answer is nothing then you know what to do . Buy the 9$ rod 

    0Reply
  • McKayla Phelps
    Investor · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2018 · 17 posts · 0 votes
    5y

    A rod is more ideal for rentals!

    0Reply
  • Rick BassettBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Greater New Haven, CT · Member since 2010 · 377 posts · 434 votes
    5y

    Yes, curtain & rods until you're ready to sell the place or if you're using it as a higher-end vacation rental and then put a nice glass doors in.

    475-900-3100
    Bassett Property Management5109 Reviews
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  • Cody Benedetto
    Member since 2021 · 67 posts · 52 votes
    5y

    Rod with a "nice" curtain, fits a purpose, looks good, and if it breaks you replace it for less than $20 and install takes 5 mins. Wouldn't give it a second thought. 

    0Reply
  • Zack Leverette
    Rental Property Investor · Macon, GA · Member since 2018 · 15 posts · 8 votes
    5y

    I vote shower rod. If you live in an area with hard water it will ruin the door if not cleaned frequently. We have high calcium levels in our water and I have to clean our shower door with a squeegee after every shower and clean the grout often to keep it from building up.

    0Reply
  • Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
    5y

    Shower curtain. Doors require cleaning and maintenance while curtains can be tossed and replaced on the cheap. I make curtains a tenant responsibility so there's no cleaning/cost involved and the Tenant can choose their own colors and decorate the bathroom a little.

    The DIY Landlord Book4.7247 Reviews
    WebsiteView Page
    1Reply
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