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Avoid carpet in rental properties when renting to young families with kids

With a growing number of young families choosing to rent instead of buy, more landlords are now accepting tenants with young children, and that inevitably increases the risk of damage to the rental property.

Among the most common damage found in rental properties includes stains on the carpet, with many young families having had their flooring seriously damaged or stained by kids, a study found.

The survey, conducted by Selco Builders Warehouse, found that the most common stage for kids to cause havoc was revealed to be between new-born and three, with some parents admitting the contents of their child’s nappy was the cause of some of their floor stains.

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Children’s drinks were found to be the biggest culprit of the damaged flooring followed by craft materials such as ink and paint, with the worst flooring for stains and damages revealed as carpet.

Three in 10 of the parents polled also said liquids are the worst thing for children to spill, with cosmetics and food not far behind.

Carine Jessamine of Selco Builders Warehouse, said: “The research shows parents everywhere have to deal with serious spillages.

“Everyone accepts children are going to have incidents when they are growing up, but when the repair bill can drift into the thousands it can prove costly for parents.”

The most common room in the property for flooring to be ruined is in the bedroom with 39% of spillages happening there.

This is closely followed by the dining room and kitchen, showing how food, including peanut butter and beetroot according to respondents, is such as big issue.

Jessamine added: “Carpets are clearly the worst type of flooring for damage and stains from a child’s activities.”

Jessamine suggests that laminate or luxury vinyl flooring may provide a worthwhile alternative when it comes to accommodating children as they are “more resistant to spillages and stains”, not to mention far more “hard-wearing”.

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Poll: Do you prefer to have carpet in your rental properties?

PLACE YOUR VOTE BELOW

  • icon

    Don’t follow this advice if you have a leasehold property! It could cost you hundreds and maybe thousands of pounds if you make a mistake with new floor coverings. Yes laminate looks nicer and gives impression of space in flats but don’t forget to check your lease clause on leasehold properties especially older leases ; this article has totally overlooked this fact as it hasn’t been mentioned it is very important. In the past time as newbie landlord I purchased my first flat which a lovely large 1930’s flat with stripped wood floors but I was forced to have fully fitted carpet it by the managing agents cost me almost £2,000.

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    Laminate flooring looks cheap and tacky. It's carpet all the time for me.

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    • 18 March 2019 10:17 AM

    Absolute twaddle!!
    Laminate flooring is far more functional.
    A rug put where the major trafficed areas are is far better than fitted carpet.
    All my flats have laminate with rugs if the tenants want them.
    None of them do.
    Only if there are noise issues would I then have to insist the tenants have rugs which I supply.

     
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    • 18 March 2019 09:48 AM

    All you need is some large rugs rather than fitted carpets
    A lot cheaper to buy replace rugs than fitting all new carpet.

  • Bill Wood

    Fair wear and tear excepted, if the carpet gets stained by kids (or otherwise) the tenants either live with it or pay to have the matter put right themselves.

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    I usually sand and varnish the floor boards. I also avoid families but sometimes nature takes its course, resulting in broken beds, stained walls and furniture. Perhaps single beds are the way ahead?

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    Caroline is right I have had that in Blocks of Flats often prohibited in MA of the Freehold Company for lease holders. I think it’s mostly to do with transmission of noise. Laminate does looks well when new but goes in the skip too often.

  • Jason  Smith

    That's very important! Rental places are mostly in very bad condition with their furniture. So, this will not can only increase your cost but also damage your carpet. If you want to buy carpets at an affordable price visit at Carpet Direct in London.

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