How to Choose the Right Flooring for a Rental Property

Flooring is one of the most visible features in any rental property, and one of the most debated. Should you fit carpet or hard flooring? Laminate or LVT? Budget or mid-range?

We fit flooring in rental properties across Lincoln and Lincolnshire every week. Here's an honest breakdown of each option, with our recommendations for different rooms and property types.

Carpet

Carpet remains the most popular choice for bedrooms in UK rental properties, and for good reason. It's warm underfoot, good for noise reduction, and most tenants respond positively to it in sleeping rooms.

• Cost: typically £8–£20 per m² supplied and fitted, depending on quality
• Lifespan: 5–8 years in a rental property (dependent on quality and foot traffic)
• Best for: bedrooms, living rooms, stairs, and landing
• Avoid in: kitchens, bathrooms, hallways

Laminate

Laminate has come a long way in the last decade. Modern high-quality laminate is hard-wearing, looks good, and is easy to clean between tenancies. However, it doesn't handle water well. A burst pipe or overflowing bath can ruin a floor.

• Cost: typically £10–£25 per m² supplied and fitted
• Lifespan: 10–15 years with proper maintenance
• Best for: living rooms, dining rooms, hallways
• Avoid in: kitchens and bathrooms (water risk)

One important consideration: once laminate is scratched or water-damaged, it cannot be repaired. It must be replaced. This makes it slightly higher risk than vinyl for rental use.

Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT)

LVT has become our most-recommended flooring for rental properties, particularly in kitchens, hallways, and bathrooms. It's fully waterproof, extremely durable, comfortable underfoot, and now available in a wide range of realistic wood and stone finishes.

• Cost: typically £15–£35 per m² supplied and fitted (higher initial cost, longer lifespan)
• Lifespan: 15–25 years in a rental property
• Best for: kitchens, bathrooms, hallways, open-plan areas
• Also suitable for: living rooms and bedrooms where you want a unified floor throughout

Standard vinyl (sheet vinyl)

Budget vinyl still has its place in rental properties, particularly in kitchens and bathrooms where aesthetics matter less than durability and cost. Modern budget vinyl is more resilient than the thin, cold-to-touch sheets of the past.

• Cost: typically £6–£15 per m² supplied and fitted
• Lifespan: 5–10 years dependent on quality
• Best for: kitchens and bathrooms on a tight budget
• Limitations: less realistic aesthetics, can lift at edges in damp conditions

Our room-by-room recommendation

Getting the specification right

The most common mistake we see is landlords specifying the cheapest available option. In a rental property, cheap flooring means more frequent replacement, which means more disruption, more cost, and longer void periods.

Our advice: spend slightly more on the specification and significantly less over the lifetime of the property. We're happy to advise on the right spec for your property type and budget. Call us or send photos via WhatsApp for a free recommendation.