Floors for a rental

What do rentals in a similar location and price range have? I'd use that as your guide.

My $0.02 is that bamboo and other soft woods are not likely to hold up well over time, especially in a rental where there could be a lot of moving in and out. That said, ceramic tile in the living rooms and bedrooms can be cold, physically as well as decoratively. It may be common in certain areas of the country (e.g., Florida) but isn't common here. Some would view it as a negative.

I'd think that hardwood or engineered wood is your best bet in this area. Maybe laminate if you're dealing with a low-budget property.

laminate for cheap and easy to replace. cheaper hardwoods for durability and longevity.

People don't like apartments that are tiled throughout like a giant bathroom.

NO to tile. Wood is the way to go. I would recommend real wood as well. Laminate may be as much as half the price of real wood, but you can't sand it. Real wood on the other hand can be sanded several times. Plus, people notice details like that. My advice... light maple. People love it and it is pretty damn tough. Do NOT get bamboo.

"People don't like apartments that are tiled throughout like a giant bathroom."

UGH. Nothing says "ghetto" more than tile of any kind throughout the apartment.

The developer of this delightful new condo in Astoria would beg to differ:

http://streeteasy.com/nyc/sale/634920-condo-23-17-broadway-astoria

OK ... QUEENS.

Enough said.

Look under the linoleum and hope you get lucky. You would be shocked at how often I find awesome real wood floors under there that only need small repairs, sanding, and a coat or two of polly. All in it would cost about $3/ft to repair the old wood.
If you don't get lucky then suck it up, buy the wood now (while it and the labor are cheap) and then never worry about putting in new floors for the next 40 years. If you only have one apartment then go to a flooring company and ask for a discontinued wood. They buy in bulk and when they get down to the last of a shipment they sell it cheap. Large landlords don't want that wood because they want all of their floors to be of similar wood.