I was thinking fire hazard as well. That doesn't really sound like it is up to current code either. I think the floor part of the problem is fineâ¦you can lay another floor over it. But at this point with the wires etc. under there I would look at a floating click-installation wood floor. I would not be driving nails into a nest of electrical wires.

Our baseboards are the darkest shade in the wood flooring and it looks fine. If you can, remove a piece of baseboard to take with you when looking for flooring. I'd still suggest to bring home samples to match your homes lighting before choosing though.

I don't know if the following would work, Cancook Flooring would know. Seems like the required sanding would be minimal if removed. Years ago(12 or so), I installed a perimeter glued sheet vinyl product. The adhesive was applied in a 4" wide band around the outside edges. A band 12" wide of adhesive was centered under where edges were butted together in the field. In 24 hours, the sheets shrunk and were quite tight. The only problem the home owner found(and the manufacturer and I told her about it) was the vinyl bunched if heavy furniture was dragged on the flooring. I did apply a layer of luaun over the subfloor(not hardwood) and filled the seams(product instructions said small gaps would not telegraph---I did not trust that!). The result was quite nice looking(after the adhesive had fully cured(3-4 days).

That's probably sheet vinyl. It is an EXCELLENT option in a rental. It is relatively cheap, durable, water proof and easy to install/replace as needed. I would do this for the kitchen and baths. I would replace carpet with carpet. It looks REALLY WEIRD if you use a 'stone look' product in an area normally reserved for wood or carpet. Like REALLY weird. So weird your renters will know you are cheaping out on them. Your counter tops are laminate. You have a small kitchen with nice (but basic) cabinetry. You have carpets in the living areas (what about the bedrooms). I would NOT put in expensive hardwoods. They will not increase the value you can ask for as rental income. To increase the rental income you must have real stone counters (although I'm a fan of laminate counters...they will out last several owners). You must have a SINGLE floor throughout the home, etc, etc, etc. I'm going to guess you will have a moderate income rental on your hands. I would recarpet the carpeted areas. I would reinstall updated sheet vinyl in the kitchen/wet areas. And expect to have those items replaced every few renters (every 7 years). Yes hardwoods can be sanded down and refinished...but that normally happens every 25 years...not every 7 years. If a hardwood floor is ruined/damaged to the point of full sand/refinish, you probably have to sue your renter (good luck with that!) to recoup the costs. A full sand/refinish costs $5/sf. It takes 3-4 days for the procedure and then ANOTHER 10-20 days for the floors to CURE. That means rental income lost for an entire month AND you have to pay for refinishing your hardwoods. You will lose money AND lose income. Best to stick with stuff that can be ripped out and replaced in a single day. Carpet and sheet vinyl will do the trick for most rental units that rank as modest or moderate income renters.