10 Nov Painting a Rental Property: Interior Painting Tips for Landlords

Painting a Rental Property: Interior Painting Tips for Landlords

As a landlord, you want to protect your investment by ensuring your rental property stays in excellent condition. One way to do this is by giving your rental property a fresh coat of interior paint. Aside from enhancing the property’s appeal, interior painting can improve the property’s rental value and attract the best tenants. But, as a landlord, what should you consider when painting your rental property? This blog post provides you with tips to help you get started.

Why Painting a Rental Property Matters

Before delving into interior painting tips, it’s essential to note why the interior painting of your rental property matters. The status of your paint can help attract or discourage tenants. A well-painted rental property comes at a cost, but it pays off in the long run as it adds value to your property, attracts high-end tenants, and can reduce time between tenants. Additionally, a fresh coat of paint can cover up any wear and tear or imperfections, and refresh your interior.

Selecting the Right Interior Paint Colors

When painting a rental property, it’s wise to choose neutral colors. Neutral colors are timeless and appeal to a broader audience, making them more attractive to potential tenants. You want your rental property to be a blank canvas for tenants to personalize their living space and make it feel like home. Some good neutral color options include off-whites, beige or gray. Off-whites and creams never go out of style, but also hide more dirt than a pure white. Avoid bold or bright colors that may not appeal to everyone.

Choosing a Paint Sheen

A rental property has different needs than your personal home, and therefore, the paint sheens you select differ also. You want to use sheens that are easy to clean and hold up against the wear and tear a rental property endures. Flat and matte sheens are great for touching up, as touch ups are not noticeable, but flat paint sheens are not washable. For this reason we only recommend using flat sheens for non bathroom ceilings in rental homes. Eggshell and satin paint sheens are washable and more durable sheens. They allow you to wipe down and clean walls, but show touch ups due to having a sheen. Eggshell and satin sheens are perfect for living space and bedroom walls.

For areas that have a lot of moisture and that need more frequent wall cleaning, like bathrooms and kitchens, satin or semi-gloss paint sheens are best as they are the most durable paint sheens. We strongly recommend you use a paint sheen with gloss (not flat) in bathrooms that include showers to protect your walls and ceiling/s from moisture.

Balancing a Budget-Friendly Paint Job and Quality

The purpose of owning a rental property is for the financial investment, so as a landlord, you need to strike a balance between quality and affordability. Tenants turnover quicker than the typical homeowner-inhabited home, and usually tenants don’t care for a rental property the same way an owner would. You will therefore find yourself painting a rental interior more often than your personal home. For this reason we suggest a mid-level paint product.

You want to choose a product that will hold up well to wear and tear, but that isn’t top-self. Selecting the right sheen, which we covered above, will help your paint hold up to the task of protecting your rental property and save you money in the long run.

If you select a painting company to paint your rental interior versus doing it yourself, let your painting contractor know during the bid that your property is a rental property so they can factor that into their estimating, and give you the most competitive price.

Money Saving Painting Tips for Landlords

SIMPLIFY PAINT PRODUCTS: Whether you DIY or utilize a professional painting company, selecting one singular color for your entire interior is one way to make painting a rental more affordable as it saves money on paint and on labor. If you have multiple rental properties, consider painting the interior walls of your rental properties in the same color/s and sheens so you can save money on paint.

PAINT STORAGE: Keep your paint stored according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and clearly labelled, so when you need it again it is easily findable and not spoiled.

How Often to Repaint the Interior of Your Rental Property

The frequency of repainting the interior of your rental property can vary and is largely dependent on the wear and tear of tenants. It is best practice to evaluate the state of your rental property’s interior walls after each tenant turnover. It is not necessary to paint every time a renter moves out, but inspecting and assessing the needs of your rental property is a smart way to keep it looking its best. When inspecting, look for obvious signs of damage such as scratches, holes, or stains. Also, consider the length of time a tenant lived in your property. If a tenant has been in residence for several years, a repaint, or at the very least touch ups, will likely be needed to freshen up the space. Consider repainting a rental interior every 2-5 years as a general guideline.

Painting a rental property is a great way to keep your property in excellent condition, improve the property’s rental value, and attract high-end tenants. Choosing the right color and sheen, striking a balance between quality and affordability, and assessing painting needs after every tenant change are some of the tips that landlords need to keep in mind when painting rental properties. For quality interior painting and swift tenant turnover, it’s worth considering enlisting the services of a professional painting company, such as Amsberry’s Painting. We can help elevate the painting needs of your rental property and save you the time and hassle of doing it yourself. Contact us today for a free, no obligation estimate!

Interior Painting Tips: Best Practices from an Expert