Painting a rented house

James__10

I'm living in a rented house for the past 18 months. Last December I signed a new 2 year lease. My partner wants to decorate a spare bedroom for our daughter. I spoke with the landlord and he said he has no problems with me painting the room. The rest of the house needs a lick of paint and my partner wants me to repaint the rest of the house in neutral colours which the landlord agreed to let me do. I asked him would he subsidise the paint costs but he said the house was decorated and repainted just before we move in and he doesn't believe the house needs repainting which is fair enough imo.

I'm thinking about buying the paint myself and repainting the house this week I just want to get a bit of feedback. Am I mad in the head going to the expense of buying paint and painting a rented house? The LL says the house will be mine as long as j want it as he says I'm a good tenant.

P. Breathnach

No, I don't think you're mad. The cost of freshening the house up so that you feel better in it is not that great.

And it seems from what your landlord said that it would be good for landlord-tenant relations. In general, landlords prefer to have tenants who take some pride in the appearance of their home.

ballyharpat

As long as you do a good job, I had tenants paint one of my houses and botched it real bad, wall paint running into the ceiling etc-these days, if any of my tenants want to do work in the house, I am fine with it as long as they agree to do a professional job and make me aware of it prior and let me check it out after, otherwise, they pay to fix it…..

handlemaster

I had a tenant who wall papered the house like Stevie Wonder. Four or five different wall paper for sitting room. Cost time and money for the landlord after.

LirW

Where I come from it's very common that tenants paint the house. Usually when you move out you have to talk to the landlord if you have to paint the walls back to white again. It was mandatory for a long time but they dismissed this rule.

No I don't think this is mad, just an advice from my site (I worked a business where we had quite a lot to do with paints): You are not doing yourself or your landlord a favor with using dispersion paint. I'd choose colours of better quality because it does have influence on how well a wall is able to "breathe". Unless your landlord lashed dispersion colours on the walls - in that case you can go with it as well since it doesn't make a difference anymore. (these paints seal the wall and if there already is a layer, don't bother)

Have fun!

karenalot

I have it in my lease that the tenants can paint the walls whatever colour they like as long as it's painted back white again when they leave. Its worked out ok so far and every tenant has decided to paint while there. I have a few Irish friends renting in the UK and they say this is pretty standard there too.

One of my current tenants though has a love for luminous pink. Its definitely made me think twice when I see it slowly being turned into a house Barbie would be proud of.

sadie1502

I wouldn't bother my arse to be honest. You're probably paying enough in rent as it is and you probably maintain the house anyway I wouldn't waste the money on paint he isnt willing to absorb the cost or at least meet you half way.

Sleeper12

James__10 wrote:

I'm thinking about buying the paint myself and repainting the house this week I just want to get a bit of feedback. Am I mad in the head going to the expense of buying paint and painting a rented house? The LL says the house will be mine as long as j want it as he says I'm a good tenant.

Lots of Tennants do this. Sometimes landlord buys paint, sometimes they don't.
I don't think you are mad at all. Rented or not it's still your home. You are lucky enough to that the landlord is ok with it. Some make you return it to original colour before you leave so landlord sounds sound enough.