If dirty and old, maybe the landlord would be amenable to having it ripped out. If just an ugly design or color, go buy many Turkish kilims or fake Navajo rugs or cotton dhurries or something like that, on ebay or at Pier One type places, spend a lot of money, have a lot of fun. Can be patterned and interesting, or just quiet. You can get big rugs at Home Depot too. Some are quite beautiful. Lay any of these right on top. I think that pretend-hardwood over a spongey subsurface will unnerve you and your friends to walk on (unless it’s unpadded industrial carpenting).