We often have tenants ask us if they can paint or do other types of “improvements” to their apartments. The short answer to that question is no.
We have experimented in the past with letting tenants do some painting or other improvements and for the most part it has ended badly. I have found walls painted black, purple and other garish colors, colors that take three coats of primer just to cover up. What’s more is everyone thinks they are a really good painter. I am here to tell you they are not. Paint inevitably ends up on the trim, baseboards, carpet, tile hardwood floors, you know, everywhere! And the paint job is usually so bad that it has to be redone anyway.
Repainting an apartment is not cheap in the first place. Having to paint over a terrible paint job or use three times the amount of paint normally required because I have to cover “Deep Purple” is not something I want to spend my hard earned money on.
So no, you cannot paint your apartment. You are going to have to live with the two colors that I use in every apartment I have, Navajo white and pure white.
“But I will leave you the left over paint so you can touch up and get more if you need it after I leave,” they often say. Nope! I have been down that road too. I do not have time to remember which paint color and which finish goes where.
My two standard colors make my life easy. I know exactly what color and what finish is used in every apartment I have. No longer do I have to search for or remember which color goes with which apartment. I or my maintenance people can simply pull out any can of Navajo White if a place needs a bit of touch up. It is simple and easy.
Smarter landlords want more “easy” in their lives. This business is hard enough. So go to your local paint store and pick out a couple of colors for your apartments. I would suggest a nice off-white for the walls and stick with white for the trim. Use them every time. In the coming years you will be glad you did.
