What is the best carpet fibre type for a NB vacation rental that needs to withstand frequent tenant turnover?

For a New Brunswick vacation rental with high tenant turnover, nylon is the clear winner — it's the most durable, cleanest, and most cost-effective carpet fibre for commercial-grade residential use.

Nylon outperforms every other carpet fibre in the conditions a vacation rental creates: heavy foot traffic, dragged luggage, sandy shoes from Parlee Beach or Fundy Trail day trips, spilled drinks, and the kind of casual treatment guests give a property they don't own. It resists crushing and matting better than polyester, cleans more thoroughly than olefin, and holds its appearance through hundreds of cleanings over its lifespan.

Why nylon specifically beats the alternatives for this application:

Polyester feels luxurious and looks great on day one, but it's oil-loving — it permanently bonds with body oils, sunscreen, and food grease at a molecular level. In a vacation rental where you can't control what guests track in, polyester carpet looks tired within 2-3 years of heavy use. Olefin (polypropylene) is moisture-resistant but crushes easily under furniture and foot traffic, making it a poor choice for high-turnover spaces. Wool is beautiful but expensive, requires professional cleaning, and is completely impractical for a rental context.

Spec the right nylon product for rental use. Look for solution-dyed nylon (SDN) rather than yarn-dyed nylon — the colour goes all the way through the fibre, so bleach-based cleaning products won't strip the colour when your cleaning crew tackles tough stains between tenants. Aim for a face weight of at least 40 oz/sq yd for living areas and hallways, and choose a low-to-medium pile height (cut pile or tight loop) rather than plush. Plush carpet shows every footprint and vacuum track, which photographs poorly for rental listings and looks worn faster.

NB-specific considerations matter here. New Brunswick's vacation rental season runs hard from June through September, with shoulder-season bookings in May and October. That means your carpet is absorbing Maritime summer humidity — indoor levels can push above 65% without AC. Choose a moisture-resistant underpad (closed-cell foam or rubber rather than open-cell foam) to prevent moisture wicking from below, especially if the rental is near the coast in areas like Shediac, St. Andrews, or Fundy shore communities. If the rental has a basement unit or ground-floor bedroom, consider LVP instead of carpet entirely — Maritime moisture through concrete is a long-term problem no underpad fully solves.

Budget for this project realistically. Quality nylon broadloom for a rental runs $3-$5/sq ft in materials, plus $1-$3/sq ft for installation with a good underpad. A typical 1,200 sq ft vacation rental with carpet in bedrooms, living room, and hallways (roughly 800 sq ft of carpet area) will run $3,200-$6,400 fully installed. That's a 7-10 year investment with proper maintenance — far better value than replacing cheaper polyester carpet every 3-4 years.

Hire a professional for the installation. Broadloom carpet requires power stretching and invisible seaming — DIY installations that skip power stretching develop ripples and buckles within 1-2 years, which is both a trip hazard and a liability issue in a rental property. A professional installer will also advise on seam placement so joins don't fall in high-traffic pathways.

New Brunswick Flooring can match you with a local flooring professional who handles rental and commercial-grade carpet installations. Get matched for free and get 3+ quotes — NB carpet installation prices vary enough that shopping around typically saves $500-$1,500 on a full rental property job.