- Buy carpet that meets your needs.
The carpet you install in your rental units must be able to
endure the normal wear of your typical tenant. You also need to consider the
frequency of your current carpet replacement schedule and whether or not you
accept pets. Install a lower grade of carpet if you need to replace it more
often due to pet damage or excessive wear. Install a better grade carpet if
you do not allow pets and your tenants are generally not overly rough on your
carpets. The trick to saving money here is to select a grade of carpet with a
life expectancy equal to or exceeding the lifestyle and average length of stay
of your average tenant. Many factors may contribute to this approach including
the average age of your tenants, number of children, average income,
occupation, pets, local climate, etc. Spending an extra dollar or more per
yard on carpet can add several years to the life expectancy of your carpets.
It could be well worth the added expense if you do not allow pets and your
average tenant stayed for 5 to10 years. It may be a waste of money if your
average tenant turnover were less than 2 years and you do allow pets.
- Select a Nylon carpet.
Nylon is the recommended carpet fiber for rentals. Nylon
outperforms all other fibers and is the most durable and easiest to clean.
Using a Continuous filament Nylon carpet will help eliminate the shedding,
fuzzing and pilling that is often observed with staple fibers. Carpet samples
of 100% continuous filament Nylon may be labeled BCF (bulked continuous
filament) or CFN (continuous filament nylon).
- Save 10% or more on your padding costs.
In most cases, installing new carpet requires about 10%
less padding than carpet. For example: If your 3-bedroom rental unit requires
100 yards of carpet, you probably only need 90 yards of padding to complete
the job. Unlike carpeting, padding can be turned in any direction and even the
smallest scraps of padding can be utilized. It may require a few extra minutes
of work for the installer but you will enjoy the savings. It has long been the
industry standard to charge equal yardage amounts for carpet and padding. Some
flooring retailers or vendors may be reluctant to negotiate with you regarding
this area of potential savings. If this is the case, simply ask the carpet
installers to leave all decent-sized padding leftovers and your savings will
add up quickly. Store this extra padding in a dry location and use it on a
future carpet replacement.
- Know your padding options.
The lifespan of your carpet depends on using good quality
padding. What type of padding are you currently using? How much are you
charged for it? There are many types of pad available and you may not be aware
of all your padding options. With typical apartment-grade plush carpet, a
7/16" inch, 6-pound, rebond padding is commonly used in rentals. Another
less expensive option would be to use a 3/8" inch, 4 to 6-pound, rebond
padding. You could enjoy savings of about 25 to 50 cents per yard or more. Ask
your flooring provider about your padding options and you may be able to
reduce your pad costs significantly.
- Consider reusing all or part of your existing pad.
When its time to replace the carpet in a rental, consider
reusing some or all of the existing padding. Depending on the age, quality and
condition of your existing padding, you could save a significant amount of
money by replacing only the areas that really need replacing. Of course,
someone will have to make the judgment call after inspecting the condition of
the padding. Most often, the hallways and main traffic areas will show the
most wear and replacing those areas would be a good idea. Padding in other
areas may still be in good condition and you could install the new carpet
right over the top. Prices for new padding vary according to thickness,
density and type so if you are able to reuse 80 yards of padding, you could be
saving anywhere from $100 to $236 on one unit alone.
- Proper pad selection.
If you allow pets in your rentals it makes good sense to
use a less-expensive padding since your chances of reusing the padding are
greatly reduced. You could use a less expensive padding and save yourself some
money. You might consider using a 3 or 4 pound 3/8"inch, rebond padding
and only spend about a dollar or so per yard. The overall savings would add up
quickly and you won’t lose as much money when the carpet and padding needs
to be replaced again in a year or two. On the other hand, if you don’t allow
pets, you might want to consider installing a higher quality padding now with
plans to reuse it the next time you need to replace your carpets.
- Remove your old carpet and padding yourself.
Most carpet installers charge between fifty cents and two
dollars per yard to remove and haul away your old carpet and padding. You
could be saving $40 to $160 on a typical 2-bedroom, 80-yard unit. Consider
having your maintenance people do the removal prior to the carpet installers
arriving and perhaps use an onsite garbage dumpster to dispose of it. Be sure
that all old carpet and padding is removed and the unit is swept clean prior
to the installers arriving to install the new carpet and padding. You may also
want to consider recycling your old padding. Some recycling companies are
willing to haul away your old padding at no charge to you.
- Maintain good communications.
Keep your flooring contractors and vendors well informed
and you can save time and money. Confusion can quickly undermine even the
best-laid plans. When scheduling carpet replacements, be sure to inform your
flooring provider of all the pertinent information they may need to know. For
example, notify them in advance if there are any signs of pet damage, water
damage or dry rot. This would help the flooring installers to arrive well
prepared and to be able to complete the installation in a timely and efficient
manner. You should also inform them if you are scheduling a floor replacement
in an occupied unit. Be sure your tenant knows of their responsibilities too.
Ask the tenant to be sure to have necessary furniture moved, have everything
off the floor and have kids and pets safely out of the way. Maintaining good
communications will keep your business running smoothly.
- Make sure tenants know how to care for flooring.
Your tenants can help you save money too if you let them
know what you would like them to do. For instance, to make carpets last longer
they need to be vacuumed regularly. Inform your tenants about this basic rule
of thumb for vacuuming carpets: Vacuum as many times per week as the number of
people living in the home. For example, if there are three people living in
the household, vacuum three times per week. Educate your tenants using a
simple flyer or include useful information in your monthly newsletter. You
would be smart to include tips on carpet stain removal, how to properly clean
vinyl floors, what products you recommend they use, etc. Providing useful
information to your tenants not only makes their life easier but it allows
them to help you by making your flooring last longer. Check with your flooring
provider to obtain proper care and maintenance information on the flooring
materials you currently use.
- Inspect new installations.
It is very important to inspect your new carpet right after
it has been installed. It only takes a few minutes and could save you time and
money. If there are any problems, you need to let your flooring provider know
as soon as possible for a quick remedy of the problem. Make sure the correct
carpet style and color has been installed, check for proper installation, and
look for any defects in the carpet itself. Early detection of problems is the
best way to help avoid delays in renting your units. If you would like to know
more about what to look for when inspecting carpet installations, you can
print out free Carpet Installation Inspection Forms here
or at: www.Landlordfloors.com.
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