Should I carpet an old wooden floor when renting ?

As a landlord myself I would not and will not carpet rentals anymore. The fact is you can legally only charge so much for security on the home. I have carpeted in the past for tenants just to find out they never vacuumed and left the house a wreck which is the norm. I would leave it as is and if you decide to resell then carpet. In our rental home we have changed to tile so it is nice looking and more durable. As landlords we all like to believe we can be selective in choosing our tenants but with laws the way they are now you just can't. We have always checked references for new tenants but the fact is they give names and numbers of friends and not ex-landlords. I think if you don't like the floors then either have them refinished or tile over them. Carpeting and renters don't work out in my past experience.

Good luck

I had the same conundrum when renting a property I had years ago. We ended up carpeting everything but if I had it to do again I would not. As long as the floors are safe, reasonably tight between the individual boards, and have some sort of finish on them, I would leave them as is and let the tenant decide if they want area rugs or not. If the floors need it, put a water based poly finish on them to make them a little easier to clean, but that is all I would do. If there are major gaps between boards, that is a different animal, but for normal small gaps I wouldn't worry about it.

Al

listen to Rev D on this one carpet would just be a waste of time and money. it will not get you a higher rent. Hardwood floors do not need to be in the best of condition to rent an apartment. clean 'em up a bit and give them a coat of polyurethane. I also have been renting apartments for close to 40 years.

We rent being military and anytime we move I look for homes without carpet. The reason being is it's easier for me to clean with animals and children and I don't have to worry about cleaning the carpets every month. I bought some rugs to put in the rooms and it's worked great.

At the most sand and resurface the wooden floors to protect your investment.

Let the renters put rugs on the floor. If they want carpet the renters can pay for it.

For upkeep and resales value it is better to keep your wooden floors..

i do no longer comprehend why being extensive prevents a board from being sanded and painted or complete in any incorrect way you will like. i'd like to pay attention her suitable reasoning on that. floor sanders cover a extensive section. lease one, an orbital one by fact they are much less stressful for first timers to apply than belt sanders are, and choose for it. Doing the labour your self would provide you a spectacular finding wood floor for fairly little money.

I think if you rented the proper machines and sanded them then applied 5 coats of polyurethane you would be amazed at the results and they would be very hard to damage. It does not cost very much and it is "your house".

dont get carpet. when they spill stuff on it its going to look bad and you will have to clean it or replace it. hardwood cleans very easily

yes its cheaper in the long run especially if you want to resell