Tenant wants to paint a bedroom

Category: General Advice

8 replies

Original post

One of my tenants asked if they could paint one of the bedrooms a dark green. They said they'd paint it back before moving out, but I'm a little hesitant.

Part of me wants to say yes since they've been great tenants, but I've also seen enough DIY paint jobs to know they don't always end well.

Would you allow it or just say no?

Reply by Josh Winders

This is a great one! I would personally say yes. If they have been great tenants and said they would paint it back, 100% yes! Who knows what if they do a great job and it looks good? I guess I don't know what kind of rental it is. But in my experience paint isn't really that big of a deal.

Reply by Dan Davies

I also vote yes! If a tenant feels like they've been able to make their space their own, and put in the sweat-equity to customize the room, they are more likely to become attached to the rental and be more likely to renew their lease.

Plus, you can always have the tenant sign an addendum to set clear rules for how the work must be done, and whether the walls must be repainted to the original color before moving out. You can add in clauses that would hold the tenant responsible for any potential damage caused by painting.

Reply by Daniel M.

I'd probably be somewhere in the middle. We've allowed it before, but only with written approval and clear expectations about the color, quality of the work and what happens at move out.

If they're a good resident, I'd rather have a simple agreement in place than an awkward conversation later if the paint job doesn't turn out the way they expected.