I've been a property mgr for years & am always searching for flooring solutions in a rental property.
These days, the laminate 'wood look' plank flooring that snaps together (sold at Lowe's or HD) is nice...especially where moisture or pets are present. My firm has been installing laminate for about 8 yrs and as long as its installed correctly we expect to get the estimated 20yr lifespan. Many of the products have a 20+yr warranty.
pergo has stood the test of time, but its more expensive than other brands. I'd put pergo in my home, like in a bsmt, but would use the standard laminate in a rental.
A few yrs ago I worked in the S. Side of chicago & took a difft route to achieve longevity. We'd put VCT on 100% of the floors in some units. Its impervious to most everything & can be sanded down like real wood floors after years of use. VCT is most common in hospitals & schools. But, the look isn't what many desire in their homes & needs to be stripped/waxed 1x a yr or so to keep it looking best. VCT stands for vinyl composition tile.
Every so often I meet with prospects at properties, and use this example: If i were standing on carpet & dropped a glass of red wine or Kool-Aid, that 1 mistake would cost me hundreds, if not over $1000 dollars (to replace the carpet). If i were standing on a laminate floor & did the same thing, the cost to me is a new glass & a paper towel. The latter is much more palatable to renters who care about getting their security deposit back, and its less worry for pet owners & families w/small children.
I work for over 400 owners of small rental properties, and don't recomend buying carpet...except in bedrooms. Even then its tough due to health issues associated with carpet. In this day & age, with a rental, carpet is nearly a disposal/consumable...and that isn't right. Its a more expensive merry-go-around than this hobby sometimes.
matt
