What rug to buy for a short-term rental (and how to place it)
A rug goes a long way towards making a room look (and feel) finished. The wrong size or placement is one of the first things a guest or a photo gives away. It helps make your listing look intentional, it completes the aesthetic, and it protects your floors throughout multiple turnovers.
For most short-term rental living rooms, use an 8'x10' rug. Drop to 5'x7' in a small room, or use an 8' round in a square space or under a round table. Center the rug on the sofa or TV, keep it out of every door swing, and hold it down with a rug gripper, never carpet tape.
Rugs pull a room together in photos, and the wrong size is easy to spot: a small rug floating in the middle of the floor makes the furniture look like it's drifting apart. If you're having trouble finding the right size, style, or combo of both to fit your property, someone like Rugs USA is one of the better places to start your search.
What size rug do you need?
When in doubt, size up. A rug big enough for the front legs of the sofa and chairs to sit on it ties the seating together.
Where should a rug go?
Center it on the room's anchor. In the living room, that usually means centered on the sofa and TV, along the same line that runs between them. If your floor plan gives exact measurements, use them. If not, use that centerline.
Then check three things:
- Where the furniture overlaps the rug. Compare it to your plan. If the sofa sits fully off the rug on one side and fully on it on the other, it's off-center.
- Every door swing. A rug must never sit where a door opens across it. If a door catches on the edge, move the rug, or switch to a lower-profile rug.
- It lies flat. No rolled corners or ripples. They look bad in photos, and someone will trip on them.
How do you keep a rug in place?
Use a rug gripper pad under every rug. Don't use carpet tape. Tape leaves residue, can damage finished floors, and lets go at the corners after a few cleanings anyway.
What's the best type of rug for a rental?
One you can clean between stays. Machine-washable rugs that come with their own pad (Ruggable is one brand that makes them) let your cleaning team wash a rug instead of replacing it.
Whatever you buy, add rugs to the turnover list: vacuum, pick up any packaging bits, and wipe off scuffs and shoe prints before the next guest.
FAQ
What size rug goes in a living room?
An 8'x10' rug fits most living rooms. Use a 5'x7' in a small room and an 8' round in a square one.
Should the sofa sit on the rug?
Ideally the front legs of the sofa and chairs sit on the rug, so the seating reads as one group. At minimum, center the rug on the sofa and TV.
Is carpet tape or a rug gripper better?
A rug gripper. Carpet tape leaves residue and can damage floors. A gripper pad holds the rug flat and comes up clean.
Are washable rugs worth it for an Airbnb?
Usually, yes. A washable rug can be cleaned between stays instead of replaced after a spill.
Can a rug go in front of a door?
Only if the door clears it completely. Never place a rug where a door swings across it.
Rugs at member pricing
Rugs and gripper pads are on the HostGPO purchasing platform. Pick the size from this guide, then order once for every property that needs one.
