Redecoration – who does it?

A thorny question at the start of a tenancy; although the tenants have taken the property as seen, on moving in they might decide that the décor is not as good as it first appeared or the colour doesn’t suit their wishes. If the decoration is tired at the end of the last tenancy, it is morally incumbent upon the landlord to freshen it up; but sometimes a bland white or magnolia might not be what the new tenants want.

A professional landlord, knowing he has good long term tenants, may decide to talk to the tenants to agree on a new colour scheme, although most will just go for a simple clean neutral finish.

In most cases if tenants wish to redecorate and submit a polite request, many landlords will be more than happy to allow them to paint some or all rooms in a different neutral colour to suit them. The caveat is, that the tenants must sign to confirm that at the end of the tenancy, they will return the decorated rooms back to the original colour, if the landlord so wishes and depending on the duration of the tenancy.

When tenants are allowed to decorate, it is wise to stipulate that carpets and any fittings are covered to avoid paint marks. In addition, the edge painting and cutting in must be of a good enough quality not to detract from the remainder of the décor.

This is one of the reasons why a good inventory with accompanying photos will make this stipulation much easier and fairer to stick to.

If you need any advice or further information, get in touch with Phil Keddie at phil@sunshinerl.co.uk.