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In my own homes over the years I've indulged in different colors but it's always been white where rentals are concerned and that suits me fine. Easy to clean and touch up and, as others have said, wall hangings and accessories provide plenty of color. A friend of mine had a rental unit painted all white and came home from a vacation to find that her tenants had painted the whole darn place a ghastly bright blue! Of course they didn't ask permission and their security deposit nowhere near covered the expense of repainting when their lease was up. She didn't bother going after them as she was just glad they were gone but she made very sure in future leases to emphasize and enlarge upon the standard clause about returning the unit to its pre-move-in condition.
When looking for rentals I've seen some photos of rentals painted in various shades of bright oranges and reds which are an immediate turn-off at least to me - and I've seen those rental listings vacant for months on end, so guess I'm not alone in finding them horrible!
In my own homes over the years I've indulged in different colors but it's always been white where rentals are concerned and that suits me fine. Easy to clean and touch up and, as others have said, wall hangings and accessories provide plenty of color. A friend of mine had a rental unit painted all white and came home from a vacation to find that her tenants had painted the whole darn place a ghastly bright blue! Of course they didn't ask permission and their security deposit nowhere near covered the expense of repainting when their lease was up. She didn't bother going after them as she was just glad they were gone but she made very sure in future leases to emphasize and enlarge upon the standard clause about returning the unit to its pre-move-in condition.
A) I can't imagine painting a rental property without permission and B) if I did, I would feel obliged to paint over it in a neutral color (of the landlord's choosing) when I left. Your friend's story is the perfect example of why good tenants often have it so difficult.
I've observed that women always want to paint the wall some color, and that they say they'll return it to "original condition"..... BUT do they actually do the proper prep work before repainting it? TSP or Krud Kutter the whole wall?
Yeah, painting is easy. prep is 90% of the work, and it's much more difficult, and often skipped.
One recent rental shopper asked me if she could paint the wall a mocha color. I asked her if she was ready to do the prep, which consists of this and that. She paused, probably thinking "what prep?"
One of my former tenants painted beige over the existing semigloss white without sanding the whole wall first.
So unsurprisingly, the beige paint started peeling in bits and pieces not long after.
Never again will I allow or trust tenants to paint.
I think tenants should consider and understand the potential headache they will cause the LL and refrain from asking if they can repaint a white wall.
You stick with the whitish wall and you decorate it. Whitish walls can be coordinated with everything on the planet with little effort. Red sheets and pillows? Yeah that goes with white too !
Exactly the problem too often faced... anyone can splash paint on the walls and everything else too.
Selecting compatible materials, preparation and skill are required to insure a quality job.
Exactly the problem too often faced... anyone can splash paint on the walls and everything else too.
Selecting compatible materials, preparation and skill are required to insure a quality job.
I guess I rarely give a thought as I know how to prep the walls and paint. It is true that most tenants don't do the prep work and are messy however I don't know that many landlords know what they're doing either ( or are just lazy).
I get so annoyed with painted switchplates, doorknobs, smears on windows, drops on the wood floor, peeling areas, and windows painted shut. My new apartment was painted by the landlord's crew in less than a day with no mess: not a drop on a switchplate or the original hundred year old doorknobs!
When I was a renter, we were not allowed to paint colors. I did anyway. I lived there for 5 years, it is only paint, no big deal. It wasn't like I panted the walls black, but really a color, should not be a problem. they were just new sheet rocked walls.
Anyway the LL saw it many a times, as for various reasons was in my apartment. He just said to get security back I have to re paint it and off white color. he wasn;t mad or anything.
No big deal, I moved upstairs to own a co-op in the building, the old apt was completely empty and I re-painted it back to the off white color. No ceilings, just walls, as they were white already...
The LL was happy, I got my security back, so I was happy andI have been living in the same building for 25 years.
I think because most tenants do not want to do a thing, let alone spend money on their apartment that the LL's just paint it an off white because that goes with every ones decor.
I don't know about all the prepping the walls people talk about all the time. Our walls are fine, they just need a coat of paint, nothing more nothing less.
I am also an expert painter, especially since I have been painting since I was 12....
I don't know about all the prepping the walls people talk about all the time. Our walls are fine, they just need a coat of paint, nothing more nothing less.
I am also an expert painter, especially since I have been painting since I was 12....
The key is selecting the right material for the job... so many times people that are not expert will put latex over Alkyd Oil and it is a disaster of major proportions.
Also... not cleaning areas of cooking grease for kitchens or mold in bathrooms are other problems...
Then, if you paint all the time.. the buildup of 20 to 30 layers over 50 years can lead to failure...
We usually paint ours either shell white, or more often, we paint the walls a Kwall Howells color "Hayseed" and the trim "Botany Beige", or vice versa. It is a little more color, and is sort of a light tan. Most tenants really like it.
I find gray to be a very "cold" color, and it makes me feel cold being in the house. I would much rather have warm colors like tans and beiges than grays.
There are cold greys(blue toned) and warm greys (red or brown toned). I wouldn't use an cold grey in an interior space, but I use warm greys all the time, and I've never had a complaint, just a ton of compliments.
You can see on their website their it with reds, browns, yellows and other warm tones. It's not cold and its a great altertive for yellowy off-white cream colors.
Last edited by jgardener; 01-30-2013 at 08:52 PM..
I'm feeling really creative and want to paint a renovated apartment a very deep bright blue, any thoughts?
Blues can look childish if you pick the wrong one, think baby boy bedrooms. If you aren't going white/off white then I'd put up a light grey or maybe brown, I personally hate brown but I see it a lot when looking at purchasing new homes.
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