The question of letting a tenant decorate their rental property can be a dilemma for landlords.
On the one hand, you want them to feel at home and personalise the property in the hope they will stay longer and look after the condition. But on the other hand, you don’t want to be stuck trying to re-let a property that has been decorated with questionable taste after they have left.
When asked the question there are lots of different responses depending on the landlord’s situation.
Tenants Decorating
Some landlords believe that if they say yes it shows commitment on the part of the tenants and that they have pride in the property, therefore meaning they will look after it better in the long run and stay longer because they feel like it is their home rather than just a house, they are staying in.
Note: If you do let a tenant decorate always ensure that you ask them to let you know what colour they are going to paint it beforehand, and it’s all in keeping with the rest of the property. It is also worthwhile making sure they are using a professional and letting them know that if it’s not done to a good standard, their deposit will be paying to rectify it, as you still reserve the right to get professionals in when they leave, to redecorate if needs be.
Other landlords will answer with a resounding no when asked the question! This could be for a wealth of different reasons – maybe they have had bad experiences with tenants ‘decorating’ in the past which has caused issues, maybe they have spent a lot of money on the property before the tenants moved in, or in some situations it is a short term let and the landlord has intentions of moving back in some time in the future so wants to leave it how it was when they left.
All of these are perfectly good reasons to say no – there is no pressure to let a tenant do anything you do not want them to! The last thing you want to find when a tenancy ends is deep purple coving; the dado rails and skirting boards with smatterings of purple emulsion.
Some other things you could do to protect you and your property in the future are:
- Obtain a signed addendum to the original agreement.
- Make sure you have a thorough inventory before they move in, as this will document any changes.
- Work with your tenant – for example, agree that as long you would like to buy the paint and brushes to ensure it will be a quality range you will let them do the decorating themselves.
- Always give permission in writing, with their intentions written down clearly
For further guidance please feel free to contact our letting agents any time on 0333 577 2118 or hello@horizonlets.com. We are always here to help!
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