June 4, 2023

Is It Okay to Allow Tenants to Do the Paint Job on Your Rental Property?

It is a hot debate among landlords whether it is okay to give permission to tenants to paint their rental homes. Both “yes” and “no” sides of this contention have their reasons. For a landlord who has to make an important decision that can either benefit or ruin his property investment, it is wise to know the arguments for and against this matter. 

Here are the factors a landlord must consider when deciding whether to allow his tenants to do the paint job on the rental property. 

Advantages of Allowing Tenants to Do the Paint Job

You can reap some benefits in allowing your tenants to decide what color to paint the rental property. Just be sure to express this permission clearly in the lease agreement with the necessary conditions. 

Increase the Chances of Retaining Tenants in the Long-Term

Renters will feel comfortable in the rental home they are living in if they can decide how to personalize their space. As a landlord, you can keep your tenants on the long term if the rental policy includes this expressed permission. 

Increasing retention is beneficial for your rental property business. In comparison to the cost of repainting, tenant turnover is more time-consuming and expensive. Thus, it is better to take the risk of allowing tenants to paint the property themselves for the chance of retaining them. 

Make Your Rental Business Stand Out

Most lease agreements do not permit renters to customize the rental space they are living in. The potential drawbacks of allowing them to paint the property seem too costly for many landlords. For this reason, there is a real opportunity for your rental property to stand out in a competitive market if you decide to go off the beaten track. 

You can attract more rental applicants if you permit tenants to decide how their rental space should look. So, consider doing what others are afraid to do. 

Potential Drawbacks of Permitting Tenants to Paint

The potential risks of letting your renters do the paint job on the property are a big reason landlords prohibit it in the rental policy. These landlords cannot gamble on the potential costs of repainting the property to market it anew. Here are some of the downsides of allowing tenants this privilege. 

It May Ruin the Appearance of the Property

Some tenants are irresponsible when it comes to taking care of the rental home they are living in because they think that they do not own the property in the first place. Giving such renters permission to paint their rental space may ruin the look or damage the property, which can be costly on your part. 

The tenants may commit the mistake of using cheap paint for the job, or they may be clueless about how to paint the property at all. 

Potential Problems at Turnover

It can be stressful to deal with tenant turnover, especially when it happens during the peak moving season. Imagine having to repaint the rental space for new tenants plus the other stuff you must do to make the property rent-ready. 

You will face more work at turnover if you opt to allow tenants to paint the property. What if a tenant only stays in the property for a couple of months? Then, a new tenant comes, and he does not like the property's interior which its former occupant painted. This scenario is a problem because you have to repaint the interior space. 

Compromises When Allowing Tenants to Paint the Property

There are compromises you can make if you want to let tenants decide on the paint job of the rental property. When you make a smart compromise, it can minimize the issues that may result from giving permission to your tenants to paint. 

  • You can charge a repainting fee if a tenant wants to move out of the property and you want to restore it to its original appearance, given that the tenant had opted to personalize the rental space initially. 
  • Offer a home painter whom you can trust to satisfy the preferences of your tenant to customize his rental space. This option ensures the painting job will be done without ruining the aesthetics of your property. 
  • Allow tenants to customize their rental space only after one year of tenancy. This option is better than permitting tenants to paint the property right after moving in. 

Final Thoughts

Weigh in carefully the pros and cons of letting your tenants do the paint job of their rental space. If you cannot handle the potential issues that may arise from permitting your tenants to do so, you can choose to prohibit it in your lease agreement. You can also choose to make compromises if a tenant wants to personalize the rental property.