It's always easy to put down the cheapest flooring in a buy-to-let property, however if you don't want to keep replacing the carpets or flooring regularly then it's a better option to spend a bit more so that will last and look great.

Many landlords used to fit lightly coloured carpets to make properties seem larger, or cheap laminate flooring downstairs. Thankfully, darker, brown coloured carpets are the new beige. A heavy duty wood effect vinyl will look better than a laminate with awful beading around the edges too.

One of the major disadvantages of laminate is that if it gets wet, it can lift.  Many landlords are also unaware that they will require a different underlay for a laminate if it is being fitted on the first floor to absorb noise.  If you have gravel outside the front door you may even find that the laminate gets marked - the same thing happens with stilettos. In fact, even a real wood floor can be ruined by heels.