who is responsible for painting when you're renting? (IL)

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Originally Posted by nightcrawler

....... regular paint for regular people to use, I can't see why a LL would object. ................and as far as colors, everyone says neutral, I get that, but even black can be repainted over.

Landlords object because tenants who "know how to paint" get paint on the light switches, woodwork, trim, plumbing, and carpeting.

Black can be painted over, but it can take 4 coats of paint to cover it instead of one. Also, if the tenant had not painted the apartment black, maybe the paint that was in there would have been good for a couple more years. So the landlord gets an extra expensive paint job when maybe he should not have had to paint at all.

Incidentally, I just had a tenant paint without permission. He painted the inside of the shower stall because he didn't like the color.

Well, you can not use ordinary paint in a place that constantly has water running on it and gets scrubbed regularly. There is no way to get the paint off the walls. I am going to have to completely pull out the shower surround and replace it with a new one.

He also dripped paint all over the bathtub. The tub happens to be metal, so I can get it off, but it would not have come off of a fiberglass tub and the tub might have had to be replaced also.

Am I happy about it? Do I just love it when tenants take it upon themselves to paint? Take a guess.

[Emeraldmaiden]

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

Landlords object because tenants who "know how to paint" get paint on the light switches, woodwork, trim, plumbing, and carpeting.

Black can be painted over, but it can take 4 coats of paint to cover it instead of one. Also, if the tenant had not painted the apartment black, maybe the paint that was in there would have been good for a couple more years. So the landlord gets an extra expensive paint job when maybe he should not have had to paint at all.

Incidentally, I just had a tenant paint without permission. He painted the inside of the shower stall because he didn't like the color.

Well, you can not use ordinary paint in a place that constantly has water running on it and gets scrubbed regularly. There is no way to get the paint off the walls. I am going to have to completely pull out the shower surround and replace it with a new one.

He also dripped paint all over the bathtub. The tub happens to be metal, so I can get it off, but it would not have come off of a fiberglass tub and the tub might have had to be replaced also.

Am I happy about it? Do I just love it when tenants take it upon themselves to paint? Take a guess.

LOL, I think you need to stop renting to stupid people. We've painted several apartments/houses that we rented (with permission), and we taped off trim, removed switchplates and outlet covers, and put down drop cloths. Mostly just accent walls, to lessen the ugly. And, in all cases but one, we returned the units to the same ugly Navajo White that they were when we moved in. We talked to a later tenant in the house we didn't repaint to original color, and she loved our choices.

Why in the world would anyone think that a bad paint job would be an improvement? And we won't even discuss the idiot who painted a shower. I'll have to tell DH about that one.

[Electrician4you]

Who the f paints a shower stall? It's either tile or fiberglass

[Informed Info]

Originally Posted by Emeraldmaiden

LOL, I think you need to stop renting to stupid people. We've painted several apartments/houses that we rented (with permission), and we taped off trim, removed switchplates and outlet covers, and put down drop cloths. Mostly just accent walls, to lessen the ugly. And, in all cases but one, we returned the units to the same ugly Navajo White that they were when we moved in. We talked to a later tenant in the house we didn't repaint to original color, and she loved our choices.

Why in the world would anyone think that a bad paint job would be an improvement? And we won't even discuss the idiot who painted a shower. I'll have to tell DH about that one.

We gave permission for one group of tenants (when we were newbie LLs) to paint NEUTRAL colors. There was nothing wrong with the Benjamin Moore Navajo White already on the walls. They wanted to "make it their own", so we agreed and we payed for the paint when given the receipt that did not announce the color - not that it mattered, it was already done.

The "living space" was painted black with a purple stripe, about 18 inches wide, around the entire room and at chair rail height. They also painted the ceiling black. Emo's and Goth's need to never be left on their own to define "neutral".

Lesson learned.

But the painting of a shower stall? That's a good one. At the same time, you don't know how stupid your tenants are until they move in and show how stupid they are.

[Emeraldmaiden]

Originally Posted by Sawdustmaker

We gave permission for one group of tenants (when we were newbie LLs) to paint NEUTRAL colors. There was nothing wrong with the Benjamin Moore Navajo White already on the walls. They wanted to "make it their own", so we agreed and we payed for the paint when given the receipt that did not announce the color - not that it mattered, it was already done.

The "living space" was painted black with a purple stripe, about 18 inches wide, around the entire room and at chair rail height. They also painted the ceiling black. Emo's and Goth's need to never be left on their own to define "neutral".

Lesson learned.

But the painting of a shower stall? That's a good one. At the same time, you don't know how stupid your tenants are until they move in and show how stupid they are.

Wow, that's crazy! And so not neutral. But I take issue with Navajo White - it is by far the ugliest shade of "white" I've ever had the displeasure of living with for years and years. Which would be why I painted an accent wall in a color I liked, and then took it back to ugly when I left.

I worked in flooring for years, and we did lots of tract housing. Usually, the default paint colors were Navajo White (yellowish) and Swiss Coffee (cooler white). Swiss Coffee would have been great. Navajo White looks to me like tobacco smokers live there and yellowed their paint, so no.

[nightcrawler]

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

Landlords object because tenants who "know how to paint" get paint on the light switches, woodwork, trim, plumbing, and carpeting.

Black can be painted over, but it can take 4 coats of paint to cover it instead of one. Also, if the tenant had not painted the apartment black, maybe the paint that was in there would have been good for a couple more years. So the landlord gets an extra expensive paint job when maybe he should not have had to paint at all.

Incidentally, I just had a tenant paint without permission. He painted the inside of the shower stall because he didn't like the color.

Well, you can not use ordinary paint in a place that constantly has water running on it and gets scrubbed regularly. There is no way to get the paint off the walls. I am going to have to completely pull out the shower surround and replace it with a new one.

He also dripped paint all over the bathtub. The tub happens to be metal, so I can get it off, but it would not have come off of a fiberglass tub and the tub might have had to be replaced also.

Am I happy about it? Do I just love it when tenants take it upon themselves to paint? Take a guess.

who does that? a retard? you have some really stupid tenants than.

this is a most extreme case though. I dont think most people are that dumb.

Our LL uses this crappy off white color that comes in 5 gallon pails. He must get it at a really cheap price as all the rental apts are painted with this and with the white trim.

I just hate that look.


and I agree, navajo white looks horrible.

[nightcrawler]

Originally Posted by STT Resident

^^^ When somebody advises, "if you are renting the space and living there, then paint it " and adds, "but even black can be repainted over" one can only shake one's head in disbelief, understand that they've never been a landlord, hope that they'll never be one and experience that reality check - and feel the deepest sorrow for future landlords from whom that person might rent, trusting that they'll collect a sufficiently large deposit to take care of the work involved returning the place to its original condition.

nightcrawler, your comments are simply mind boggling!

well, i am probably the best painter in the world, so it amazes me that LL think all tenants cannot paint or do anything.

and i still feel the same way, it is paint. I dont see what the big deal is.

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by nightcrawler

who does that? a retard? this is a most extreme case though.
I dont think most people are that dumb.

You would be surprised then.

Like the guy with a hammer who wants to pound on everything like it's a nail...
People can become amazingly stupid with an open can of paint and a wet brush in their hands.

So... regardless of how bright they may be otherwise, that is still the standard that the very simple
rules need to be made for: Ask for permission. If no... sit on your hands.

...and I agree, navajo white looks horrible.

Bottom line is that if you want input in decorating choices you need to buy your own
or rent at a very high (or very low) market level. The middle isn't for you.

[STT Resident]

Originally Posted by nightcrawler

well, i am probably the best painter in the world, so it amazes me that LL think all tenants cannot paint or do anything.

and i still feel the same way, it is paint. I dont see what the big deal is.

You may well be most accomplished wielding a paintbrush ("best in the world" is pushing it) but the majority of landlords have learned the hard way that many tenants (not "all") are most certainly not and thus rules are put into place.

As I mentioned earlier, you don't think it's a big deal because you've obviously never been a landlord who's been faced with an unauthorized painting which often takes a lot of money and time to fix. When you own your own home you can daub away to your heart's delight and use a myriad of colors but when you're renting a property then leave well alone unless you have express permission in writing to make alterations of any kind.

[CSD610]

If the paint was okay enough to sign a lease then I don't see the issue.
Making an assumption that the landlord was going to paint is your problem not the landlord's.