We have tried many different solutions to figure out what is the best carpet for a rental property. There are many options to consider before making the best decision. What type of carpet pile, fiber, and of course price. When we first started, we made many mistakes… Hopefully you can learn from our failures.
Our mistakes…
When starting out with our first rental unit, we wanted to save money. We skimped a lot in order to save our precious cash flow. In order to do that we installed the cheapest carpet we could buy. To us, this made perfect sense and seemed like a very logical approach in our decision making process. We have come to find out that this was not the best carpet for a rental property. and the best one to go with for the flooring. You do need to keep cost in mind, but you want the most cost effective, not the cheapest. This is something I regularly applied in many other areas of my life, however this was not one of them. Just remember that the cheapest and most cost effective are not equivalent terms.
Let take a quick example. One carpet for a rental unit costs $3,000 whereas another carpet costs $4,000. It is easy to see that the $3,000 carpet is the cheaper carpet. However, now let’s consider how long each carpet will last. For the sake of this example, let’s assume the $3,000 carpet will last for 3 years, whereas the $4,000 carpet will last for 6 years. The cheap carpet costs $1,000 per year and the more expensive carpet costs $800 per year. So, wouldn’t you agree that in this example the best carpet for the rental property would be the more expensive carpet as it is also the most cost effective carpet? With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the other considerations.
Next thing to look at is carpet pile
There are two main carpet types, “cut pile” carpet and “loop pile” carpet. First, a cut pile carpet is defined by the tuft of yarn that stands up vertically. Whereas a loop pile is just as it sounds, a standing loop of yarn. Although loop pile carpet will not wear nearly as much as cut pile, the problem arises when something snags the carpet. As a result, once the carpet is snagged and if the carpet is pulled on instead of cut, a whole line of carpet can be pulled out of the matting, leaving a bare spot in the carpet. In the picture to the right you can see exactly what I am talking about. For this reason alone, a cut pile carpet is typically the best carpet for a rental property.
Below is an overview chart of the carpet piles and when to use which one.
| Carpet Types | Styles | Pros | Cons | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loop Pile (tufts form loops) | Level Loop | Wears well since tips of fabric are not exposed. | May be difficult to conceal seams. Snags are very visible. |  |
| Multi-level Loop | Wears well. Texture helps hide wear and dirt. | May be difficult to conceal seams. Snags are very visible. |  |
|
| Cut Pile (tufts are cut) | Velvet Plush | Feels soft. Smooth level surface. | Less durable than loop piles. Shows dirt and footprints. |  |
| Saxony | Smooth, dense surface. Twisted fiber adds resilience and hides footprints. | Less durable than loop piles. |  |
|
| Frieze | Textured with highly twisted tufts adds resilience and hides footprints. | Curly, textured surface less smooth, plush. |  |
|
| Cut-loop (combines cut and uncut tufts) | Cut-loop | Islands of high cut loops and low uncut tufts create sculpted pattern that helps hide wear and dirt. | Uneven surface, less plush than cut piles. |  |
Make sure you get enough fiber
Maybe not that type of fiber… Although there are many fibers that range from nylon to olefin. We believe that nylon is the best carpet for a rental property. Due to the fact that it is very durable and resilient and tends to clean up well in between tenancies. Sometimes, the same stain on an olefin carpet, for example, may be permanent. However, that same stain may be able to be removed from a nylon carpet.
| Fiber Types | Wear | Stain Resistance | Resilience | Cleanability | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wool Carpet | Very Good | Low unless treated | Excellent | Good | $$$ |
| Nylon Carpet | Excellent | Most are treated to enhance stain resistance | Very Good | Very Good | $$ - $$$ |
| Polypropylene Olefin | Very Good | Excellent inherent stain resistance | Low | Good | $ - $$ |
| Polyester Carpet | Very Good | Built-in stain resistance to certain types of acid dyes | Fair | Good | $ - $$$ |
Finally, what color is the best carpet for a rental property?
We prefer something that is speckled and in a dark tan or light brown. It may be a combination of dark tan with black spots throughout. Most of all try to pick out something that is not going to show dirt easily.
As a result, our recommendation is a cut pile, nylon carpet that is speckled and of a neutral to dark color.