If the home has a hardwood floor in any of the rooms, it is the responsibility of the tenant to keep the flooring at its original state prior to moving in. The tenant will be financially responsible for any damages done. Moisture, furniture, high heels and pets cause the most damage to the hardwood floor. Please see below on how to avoid damages.
Moisture: Liquids spilled on the floor can cause the floor boards to permanently deform. Never leave a puddle of liquid on hardwood flooring, mop up the spill immediately.
Furniture: The best way to avoid scratches on the hardwood floor is to make sure all legs of all furniture have sliding pads under them. Certain brands do not protect hardwood flooring; make sure to check for this when purchasing these items. One brand that works well is EZ Sliders; these will safely move furniture and appliances up to 750 lbs.
Shoes: Most shoes will not hurt flooring, although certain ones will dent and or scratch the flooring. The best way to prevent this is to take shoes off when entering the home; this will also keep the house cleaner and help avoid stains on any carpeting.
Pets (if allowed by landlord): Some dogs grow a lot of fur between the pads of their paws; they slip easily on wood floors when this grows out, and tend to try to dig in with their claws to compensate. Are you trimming the fur between the pads as short as you can?
Dogs also become habituated to slipping and clawing on wood floors. Don’t play or command behaviors that encourage the dog to slip on the wooden floors. Use a pet dremel tool to file your pets nails down. Nail trimmers make the nails shorter, but leave a nasty edge on them. When you file them, and give them a nice rounded end that won’t dig up your floor.
