Choosing the right carpet for your rental or investment property can be challenging. You need to consider different factors to have the best carpet choice with long-term durability and low maintenance costs. The carpet that will be used in a rental property should be high traffic, wear, and tear durable, stain resistant, and easy to clean for tenants. In this article, you will read more about the most important factors to consider when choosing the carpet for your rental property.
Should you invest in premium or budget carpets?
Looking for a premium or budget-friendly carpet is one of the biggest decisions that property owners need to make when purchasing a carpet for their rental home. Both options have their pros and cons:
Premium carpets: If your rental property is in good condition and does not need any future repairs, this can be a good and smart idea to look for premium carpets as they are highly durable, and can add value to your rental or investment home price. In addition, the better the quality of the carpet is, the easier maintenance it needs. By using premium carpets, you do not need to replace carpets frequently.
Budget-friendly carpets: If you want to keep your budget when choosing a carpet for your investment or rental property, it can be a good idea to look for polypropylene carpets as they are less expensive. However, it is important to note that while these budget-friendly carpets are affordable, they may need to be replaced or repaired frequently.
The best carpet materials for rental properties
The material you choose for your rental or investment property’s carpet plays an important role in the lifespan and maintenance of the carpet. Here are some of the most common carpet materials that are used for rental properties’ carpets:
- Polypropylene: This is a popular choice for property owners who are looking for a budget-friendly carpet option that is stain-resistant, easy to maintain, and affordable. This carpet material is suitable for low foot traffic places.
- Nylon: If your budget allows, it is recommended to go for the nylon carpets as they are highly durable and tear, and wear resistant. Nylon carpets are a great option for high-traffic areas.
- Polyester: This is another popular and affordable carpet material and like polypropylene carpets, it is stain-resistant. However, they are better to be used in low-traffic parts as they are not as durable as nylon carpets.
- Avoid wool or plush carpets: Although wool or plush carpets are luxurious options, they are not suitable enough for rental or investment properties due to the high possibility of damage and their difficult maintenance. Therefore, it is better to choose other carpet materials unless the luxurious look of the carpet is your priority.
💡 For more information about carpet materials, you can also read “polyester or polypropylene carpets in rental properties“.
Carpet style considerations: Low-pile vs. high-pile
Another important factor to consider when deciding about your rental property carpets is the carpet style. Here are each style’s features, helping you have a better carpet choice for your property:
Low-pile carpets: The low-pile carpets such as twist or loop-pile are great carpet styles for rental properties. Low-pile carpets have tightly woven loos with shorter fibres which make them more durable, wear and tear-resistant, and easy to clean. These carpets are a smart choice for your investment or rental property with high foot traffic.
High-pile carpets: The high-pile carpets provide an elegant and luxurious look to your place, but they are less practical for rental properties as they are prone to wear, tear, and stain. Their maintenance also needs much effort compared to low-pile carpets.
Balancing carpet with other flooring options
A wise and strategic flooring solution for rental properties is to create a balance between carpet and other flooring options. To explain more, it is recommended to use carpets for low-traffic places such as the bedroom where the softness and warm atmosphere are important to tenants. For high-traffic sections of your properties like the kitchen, living room, or hallway, you can consider the flooring options including vinyl flooring or laminate. These two flooring options are easier to maintain and clean, and they are more durable against wear and tear in rental homes.
Ease of cleaning between tenants
Carpets in a rental or investment property should be professionally cleaned (shampooed or steamed) before a new tenant moves in. This is while the hard floorings like laminate flooring or vinyl only need to be cleaned with a simple mop. So, it is important to decide carefully about each room’s flooring type.
Consider the room’s function
As it has already been mentioned in this article, it is critical to consider each room’s features and functionality to better decide about the flooring type between carpet or hard flooring choices like vinyl. To explain more, places like bedrooms require more comfort and softness while they have low foot traffic, so it is recommended to consider carpets as the best flooring option for your rental property. However, for places with higher foot-traffic and tenant movements like living rooms, you can look for other flooring types as they do not need complicated maintenance and they are easy to clean and maintain.
Practical tips for choosing carpet
Here are some practical tips that help you choose the right carpet for your rental property:
- Look for the heavy-duty carpets: Look for the “heavy duty” rated carpets that are specifically designed for high-traffic areas like stairs.
- Choose carpets with high density: Try to find carpets with higher density as they provide you with longer durability. For example, a 1/10 carpet has 10 stitches per inch which makes a more durable carpet choice compared to 1/8 carpets that have 8 stitches per inch. The higher the number of stitches per inch is, the longer durability the carpet in your rental property has.
- Choose loop-pile for high-traffic areas: The loop-pile carpets like level loops and Berbers are great choices for high-traffic areas as they can hide dirt and footprints.
- Minimize footprints with twist carpets: Low-pile hard twist carpets are an ideal choice to reduce footprint and they help have a clean and neat appearance over time.
- Choose carpets with darker tones or patterns: Try to find carpets with darker tones like gray or brown or carpets with patterns for your rental property as they can better hide dirt and stains compared to light and simple carpets.
Best carpet choices for rental or investment properties
Here is a list of recommended products for your rental or investment property that are popular among clients because of their high quality, durability, and cost-affordability:
- Labrinth carpet
- Hip Hop carpet
- Track N Field carpet
- Westminster carpet
- Mantra carpet
- Salsa carpet
- North South carpet
Conclusion
Choosing the best carpet for your rental or investment property can become challenging as there are different needs to be considered when purchasing a carpet. You need to create a balance between your budget, carpet quality, durability, and appearance. Therefore, it can be truly helpful to consult a flooring professional in your area for a successful carpet purchase. MA Flooring in Melbourne is a carpet flooring service provider that can help you with carpet selection for your rental home. You can easily contact our flooring experts for a free consultation.