Finding a tenant: carpet or wood floor?

Definitely wood. No question.

if you already have it there i would remove it as i am sure been there awhile and then just sand and seal the wood floor. I do not know anyone that even thinks about wall to wall carpeting an apartment these days.

I wouldn't even look at an apt with w/w carpet for rental.

Got it! It seems like landlords will have to spend some money refinishing floors...but then...how will tenants deal with the 80% requiered coverage?

80% is of total are of a room. so in a bedroom for instance once you are done with all the furniture and bed, maybe you need a small area rug. Same goes for a living room, TV unit, couch, maybe an area rug thrown in the middle.

wall to wall carpet is a big hastle to clean and over time depending on things dropped, etc more of a hassle. an area rug can be cleaned, tossed, etc.

Wood floor without question! And if you can do better than regular apartment parquet, you might do even better with the rent. I don't know the price difference on install, but an extra $100 per month rent could make it pay for itself quickly, if it appears that much more attractive.

"I wouldn't even look at an apt with w/w carpet for rental."

Ditto.

I would go with a wood floor - and in agreement with a previous response, if you can do oak planks, blonde wood, it would rent much quicker!

Wall-to-wall carpet, especially in a rental just seems unsanitary to most people. Especially now with the bed-bug "epidemic" the carpet could be a breeding ground for those little guys!

NYC - disagree about the blond wood. Light color just doesn't seem to belong in a prewar.

Not to hijack the op, what would you think of tile throughout? I am talking about porcelain, marble or granite, high level stuff. Some even comes in a wood look.

proy.: That must be a condo apt. if asking about renters preferences.

Wood flooring. For sure.

csn - bad idea, IMHO. In the past looked at and rejected apartments where granite/marble had been installed throughout, including living room. Distinctly limits decor looks for prospective buyers/renters.