What Type Of Countertops Are Best For Bathrooms In A Rental Property?

Renting out a home provides an excellent source of passive income. However, the endeavor is fraught with risk, too. And while it's not right to paint all tenants with the same brush, you just never know if someone renting your home is as careful with your property as you'd be. If you want to minimize the risk of damage stemming from tenant negligence, or simply from age-related wear, you should equip every part of your home with durable materials. This is especially important for items that are exposed to water, moisture, cleaning chemicals, and items that may leave stains — like bathroom vanity counters. You want your rental property's countertop materials to withstand traffic and wear associated with bathroom use, as well as potentially thoughtless actions by the tenants.

The best bathroom countertops for rental units are made of materials like quartz, solid surface, and granite. These materials are well-suited for resisting damage stemming from impact, water, stains, and heat. We'll explain the benefits of installing a quartz or solid surface countertop in the bathroom of a rental unit, and also tell you which materials to stay away from to avoid unnecessary repair or replacement expenses.

If you're not willing to spend too much on the new countertop, but are equally reluctant to sacrifice on durability, consider quartz. Quartz countertops are made of a mix of raw quartz stone and polymer resin. These polymers bind the stone particles together and ensure the slab's strength. Thanks to these resins, a quartz countertop can also resist damage from household cleaners. The surface of quartz counters is non-porous, so they don't stain easily and cleaning them is a breeze.

For rental units, quartz countertops are better than granite. That's because they come at a much lower price point. For example, you can get a quartz vanity top for around $200 at Lowe's, while a granite equivalent will set you back closer to $750.

Solid surface countertops are another alternative to consider, especially if you like the idea of an integral sink. These countertops are made of polyester or acrylic resins, and their homogenous nature means they can be molded into a single, solid piece comprising the countertop and sink bowl. Their composition makes solid surface countertops resistant to impact and gives them an easy-to-clean, non-porous exterior. They're more heat-resistant than their engineered quartz counterparts, but less so than countertops made of stone, like granite. That said, this is a minor drawback for a bathroom countertop, since the only source of heat to worry about is a hair iron, and not scorching-hot cookware. Solid surface countertops cost around $550.

Some countertop materials are particularly prone to damage, such as staining, cracking, or breaking. Stay away from them if you want to minimize repairs and renovations in your rental property. For example, laminate countertops may be a tempting choice due to their low price point, but this material is not durable. Laminate countertops' cores are made of sheets of kraft paper that are laminated with phenolic resins. If moisture gets through the seams of a laminate countertop, it can cause the core and surface to delaminate. Exposing the surface to heat (say, with a carelessly placed hair curler or straightener), has the same delaminating effect that can disfigure the surface beyond repair. If your tenants are not careful with the countertop, you may well spend time and money on countertop replacement when they move out.

Concrete countertops are also best left in the store if you're fitting out a rental property. These countertops may be in vogue, and their brutalist, industrial aesthetic definitely gives them an air of robustness. But, alas, if the concrete cracks — which it tends to do — you have no way of repairing it, and replacement is your only option.

Now, you're probably not toying with the idea of giving your tenants a marble bathroom counter due to its tremendous cost. But if the thought has crossed your mind, let us stop you right there. Marble is not only expensive but also stains easily and needs annual sealing.