I would not give a tenant permission to paint. If they want a color change and you are agreeable to that then send in your painter at the tenants expense.

NEVER NO MORE!

Back in the day, we thought, "What's the harm? It's their home!" And ended up with fuscia walls and navy blue woodwork and purple walls with gold-sponge work and a quart of army paint used when a gallon was needed...burgundy walls and black ceilings....I could go on.

Tenants can't paint. And even if they could, why let them? Who wants 20 coats of paint on their walls???

NEVER NO MORE!

Back in the day, we thought, "What's the harm? It's their home!" And ended up with fuscia walls and navy blue woodwork and purple walls with gold-sponge work and a quart of army paint used when a gallon was needed...burgundy walls and black ceilings....I could go on.

Tenants can't paint. And even if they could, why let them? Who wants 20 coats of paint on their walls???

NEVER NO MORE!

Back in the day, we thought, "What's the harm? It's their home!" And ended up with fuscia walls and navy blue woodwork and purple walls with gold-sponge work and a quart of army paint used when a gallon was needed...burgundy walls and black ceilings....I could go on.

Tenants can't paint. And even if they could, why let them? Who wants 20 coats of paint on their walls???

When a tenant asks me if they could paint, it gives me a clue that their tenancy could end soon.

Since most of my places are C units (older mobiles), I let them paint but never will I trade rent for painting. They supply all labor and most paint. I have found they paint anyway even if I say no. The way I look at it, these are C units, not A or B. If it makes them happy and they stay longer, good. Chances are, I'll need to repaint anyway.

When I was younger, I helped pay my way through college by painting student housing around the college. Using an airless, I can paint a 2BE unit complete in about 2 hours. All mine go antique white. All trim and baseboards are painted the same.

6x6

Yes, everything gets the same color. Ceilings, walls, trim.

This likely does not apply in A and B units.

Wrap cabs with visqueen. Use hand held spray shield with 36 inch handle to shield windows. Use old carpet cut into 24 inch strips to shield floor. May have to use primer over red, pink, yellow, dark blues and repairs. Spraying takes 5-10 minutes per entire room.Wear a respirator and a paint suit.

Use cheap paint.

One of my 14 year long tenants wanted to have their apartment painted again. I had painted it less than 3 years ago, top quality job. So my tenant hired her long time handyman to do the job while she was away.

The price quoted to paint 1/2 of the 1 bedroom unit was $1,000. When the tenant returned, only have of the job was complete and it was done wrong. Water base paint over oil based paint. Everything had to be re-done, costing my tenant a total of $2,500.

This is only one horror story. Other times tenants don't realize, even after I explain about contact surfaces. Cabinet doors, etc need to have layers of paint removed before adding primer and 2 coats of paint -- otherwise things won't close and stay shut.

I had one tenant paint over cabinets so nothing would even come close to closing. Then they move without paint the last months rent citing that the unit is now inhabitable.

I buy a lot of houses from people who are destined to be tenants forever... :)

There was the one that was done in bright pinks and teals (in the same room), and browns and grays.

I'm currently working on one with black baseboards and window recesses.

I've had more than one turquoise bathroom.

There was the really fun one where they started painting (green walls, navy blue baseboards and window frames, etc) and kind of lost interest halfway through the process...

Even my own current house used to have ceilings that had been done in burnt orange and Pepto-Bismol pink at some point in the past, although that was probably the 60's and the 70's for you...

I've had tenants paint without permission. Every single one of them left under disagreeable circumstances (unrelated to having painted without permission) and not one of them put their painting back again the way it was.

99.9% tenants are clueless on how to prep and paint a wall forget a room or a house.

Prep the surface, fill holes, remove cover plates, prime walls, finish coat.

AND tenants do not move appliances or pianos or large furniture they just paint around them.

99.99% tenants are clueless of how to paint!!!

99.9% tenants are clueless on how to prep and paint a wall forget a room or a house.

Prep the surface, fill holes, remove cover plates, prime walls, finish coat.

AND tenants do not move appliances or pianos or large furniture they just paint around them.

99.99% tenants are clueless of how to paint!!!

No, never. Learned this the hard way several times. It will cause you tons of work in the end.

I recently caved for a 10 year tenant but I told her I would supply the paint in my color choice and this was a special exception being made for her. She insisted she wanted to stay forever!

When she learned I was picking the color, which was a new modern color (repose gray) and all walls needed to be the same color she declined.

I kid you not, three months later she was given the wonderful opportunity "her words" to buy her Mom's house and she moved. While I believe her I am so glad she declined. And it reminded me to never deviate from my rule as I feel I dodged a bullet this time.

As Tom (FL) said tenants do not know how to paint. I only considered it in this case because she was a good, long term tenant and I figured even if she did move or didn't do a good job I knew we'd be doing a total rehab when she did move or buy the house which she'd also mentioned wanting to do.

I had had one house completely painted ($1800) by a professional prior to a new occupancy. Included new interior doors which were stained/not painted.

Paint all your walls the same colors. Doors and trim white, walls neutral. Makes turnover easier. You can also write the code of the paint on the back of the light switch if you don't remember what it is.

Use the same in all units and you won't have to remember what it is from house to house.

Swiss Coffee on the walls and trim using an opppps color can of paint.

If you use only one color, you can paint a single wall at turn over.

You need to create a set system to follow that will make your life easier.

No where so many folks have flat out said NO......I will say normally NO. I had someone that has been in one of my places since 2003 ask me if he could hire his nephew to paint the place. I told him if I could meet his nephew, I would be alright with it.

The Deed

and

The Lease

With a DEED you have unlimited abilities HOWEVER dictated by zoning, code enforcement and HOA's as how unlimited you may be to do certain things to the DEEDED premises.

Yes there are rules to follow!!!

With a LEASE there are limitations HOWEVER some tenants think they own the place and can do whatever they please without any concern for the content of the lease. Like painting. or flooring change, or being a house beater, or becoming a deadbeat...

OF course being a house beater happened many times with foreclosure properties and many times it was the deeded owner who did the house beating. Sadly the house did not cause the financial woes of the owner. BUT the house got a good beating and most likely the owner felt better after this occurrence. Unfortunately these owners who did major damages to the house did not get a day in jail due to the major amount of damages. Wall damages, kitchen cabinets removed, light fixtures removed, all appliances removed, hot water heater removed, toilets removed, a/c or furnace removed. And they got back at that evil bank that caused them to lose their house to foreclosure. AND now since this person lost their house o foreclosure they are now renters, WONDERFUL. The rental could be the next thing damaged.

IF tenant wants to paint at their freewill then change the ownership factor become a deeded owner of a house.

But they don't want the responsibility of being the deeded owner.

NO Painting per lease...

"Please do not let any tenant paint your house. I have never seen the job done well and the colors are usually horrible."