A new coat of paint on your rental property between tenants might be just the thing to easily entice new tenants to the property. Fresh paint is clean and helps a tenant understand you are serious about your obligations as a landlord. It is also an easy and economical way to lift both the aesthetic appeal and perceived value of your property.
There are some simple guidelines to follow for painting the interior of your rental:
1. Type of Paint
It is best to use satin or semi-gloss paint for most living areas as it is hard wearing and marks and scuffs can wipe off more easily. Ceilings are usually painted with a flat ceiling paint to hide blemishes and diffuse light well. Door frames and windowsills should be painted in semi-gloss or high gloss as these paints give a nice hard, shiny finish that is easy to clean and a little more difficult to damage. Don’t skimp on paint quality, despite the fact this is a rental property. A good quality paint, like Dulux for example will outwear and outlast cheaper varieties.
2. Paint Colour
It’s not the home you live in so it doesn’t need to reflect your personality entirely. Choose neutral colours such as greys, tans, creams and off-whites and then let the tenants add their personality with their stuff. Although white paint finishes are currently trendy, they do show the marks more and some whites can tend to feel colder than a paint with a warmer finish.
3. Fix Holes and Damage before Painting
Preparation is the key to a good paint finish so before you re-paint, spend some time bogging holes and repairing damage to walls and trims.
4. Feature Walls
Don’t go overboard with creating feature walls in every room. Your colour choice may not be your tenants. However, a well thought out feature wall can add some design flair and interest to an otherwise plain space. For your rental it is advisable to be understated rather than too bold or bright.
5. Tenants who Paint
Only you can decide if you trust your tenants to do a good painting job in your rental – but be careful with this. Those tenants who ask if they can paint, ‘usually’ are committed to keeping their home looking great. For you, the landlord, paint is a deductible expense, and if you agree on the colour with the tenant, this can be a win-win solution for you both. And at the end of the day, isn’t that what we all would like.
