Nick...What I did when I first moved into my house, which is a "fixer-upper", was to cover the linoleum in the kitchen with a bamboo rug. These are around $100 for an 8x10 on Ebay. (They come in various sizes...smaller are cheaper.) Sometimes with free shipping...you just have to look. I got the natural bamboo look, rather than the colored ones. Since you are in a rental, you could take the rug with you if you move.
Bamboo is very nice to walk on, attractive, and resilient!
Patty