Carpets, LVT and wood for Leven rental properties

Rooms we're asked about most in Leven

Hall, stairs and landing come first in most rental properties — it's the busiest surface in the building and the one that dates the whole place. After that it's usually the living room, then kitchen or dining space.

Bedrooms tend to get done last, which is fine: they take the least wear, so a mid-range carpet there frees budget for a better spec where it counts.

Keeping the floor good after we've gone

• Matting at every external door — it does more for a floor's life than any product upgrade.
• Felt pads under chair and table legs, replaced when they wear through to the metal.
• Damp mop, not a wet floor: standing water finds the joints eventually.
• Vacuum with the beater bar off on loop pile, and never steam-clean a floating floor.
• Deal with a lifting edge or a loose trim early, while it's still a ten-minute job.

What we'd fit in our own rental property

• Hall and stairs: hard-wearing carpet with a dense underlay, or a wear-layered LVT if the door mats can cope with the grit.
• Living room: comfort wins — a good twist pile, or engineered oak if the base is dry and level.
• Kitchen and utility: waterproof planks or sheet vinyl, taken under the appliance line rather than cut around it.
• Bedrooms: mid-range carpet is plenty; save the budget for the busy surfaces.
• Bathroom: sheet vinyl in one piece, with the joints and edges sealed properly.

Condensation in a cold rear room

A north-facing extension or a rear kitchen that's colder than the rest of the rental property often shows condensation at floor level before it shows anywhere else, especially in mixed-era Leven property with limited insulation underneath.

Sealing that moisture in under a waterproof floor just moves the problem sideways into skirtings and door frames. Better to identify the cold bridge first and choose a covering, such as a breathable natural fibre or well-vented timber, that copes with the room as it actually is.

Straight answers