SA Tenant asking if they can re-paint the house at their cost

As per the title, tenants have been good so far and been living at my property for 2 years. They also want to extend their lease for another 2 years once the current lease expires.

They are asking if they could re-paint all the walls, add a feature wall to living area and replace window blinds/curtains at their own cost.

This is my 1st and only IP so I'm not sure how I should go about it. My initial thoughts are to say YES if they are bearing the cost. However PM is advising against it. His reason is that sometimes tenant's don't do a good job and it can be difficult to make them redo the work at their own cost if ends up being terrible.

Any further thoughts/suggestions will be appreciated.

 

I would say no too due to the colours and the quality. If any of that is not good, you will have to fix it at your own cost later.

 

Weigh each situation on its own merits, has been times when we've allowed it and not allowed it.

Consider:
1) Is the tenant (or whoever they have doing it for them) experienced at painting?

2) Is the property due for a paint anway? If so, you're going to paint it when they move out anyway, so what they do in the meantime might not matter as much?

If they do do it, make sure they use appropiate protection so that paint doesnt get on the carpet or windows. And make sure they dont do any risky areas (eg high ladder) that might lead to injury.

 

I’d also ask what colour they wanted - mission brown wouldn’t be the best.

But imagine the sense of ownership they will have, and hopefully care they will have in your place.

You have to do more DD but there are more reasons to say yes, than no

 

Also "paint at their own cost" doesn't necessarily mean "paint it themselves" - they may be getting someone else in to do it for them. Check who will be doing the paint application and their colour choice(s) before agreeing (as a bad job or poor choice of colour could make it more difficult to rent it out again if they decide to leave in 2 years time).

 

I'll allow on those terms:

1. Job to be done by a professional painter, who can show you (before starting) they have insurance.
2. All colours to be approved by you before starting.
3. An inspection to be allowed at the end, so you can see what was done and how it looks like.

The last thing you want is to have to re-paint over their job if it's comes out bad.
Nor having to repair the place due to very bad protection.

 

Painting is 85% cost in the preparation and workmanship and 15% is the paint. If they are asking you should be considering if you should be addressing the issue anyway.

I wouldnt allow it. At best they do a OK job. But the chances are they wont. Too many issues to get right. If they want to paint a house and customise it perhaps they need to speak to a mortgage broker rather than a landlord.

 

If it's a ****** house and you can't really make it worse I'd say yes with conditions they don't make it worse. If it's a half decent house and they're not professional painters or can't show previous work that is to a suitable standard I would say no. I would also want some sort of protection in place so if they fall off a ladder and break their neck they can't/don't try and drag you into any compensation claim etc.

 

How can tenant come after a LL if they fall off a ladder they decided to go onto?
It's not like the LL has asked them to do anything that make then go up ladders....

 

NO, NO, NO, a thousand time NO. Id let them change the window coverings, so long as they leave them there when they leave, but I would never allow them to paint.

We've carried a rather large portfolio over more than 20 years now. The only tenant we have allowed to paint is a painter that lived in one of our properties. He re-painted it every few years & treated the place as his own.

Over the years we've had other tenants paint (without permission) and it's a nightmare to fix. People think painting is easy, which it is if you've got a steady hand, and prepare things properly, but all too often you end up with paint on floor coverings, spatters on the architraves and windows, poor quality paint that the dirt sticks to, water based paint over oil based that eventually peels.

This is costly and time consuming to fix. I'd only agree if they are getting a professional in to do it.

 

My partner asked a previous landlord if 'we' could paint the inside out the house.
I had no interest of course so I sat it out, and she had no expertise beyond five minutes spent on google.

Watching her paint the walls did not strike me as rocket science.
The landlord even reimbursed us for the paint afterwards.

It probably depends on the propery.
In my case the property was tidy, but a little dated... the middle ground between fine and functional as is, but something that would have probably been done if being prepared for sale.

Would a licenced/experienced/reccomendend painter have potentially done a better job? Probably, for a corresponding cost.
Was the end result with 'us' doing it good enough anyway? I think so, and so did the landlord evidently.

 

Preparation, patience and a steady hand. Now, I was never taught to paint. First painting I did was my first PPOR. Hubby & I made a great team, he rolled & I cut in. That's the way we still do it, and some people are naturally reasonably good painters.......but the majority of people paint like they are five year olds trying to colour between the lines.

 

I certainly dont have the patience or interest to even bother trying.

Perhaps ones incentive is a predictor of outcome.
A quick splash of paint in order to prep for sale might result in a different outcome to someone who is house proud and has to live with the result.

Its obviously upto the OP to weigh the pros and cons, but if its a job that has to be done anyway then it might not be worth getting too worried about, afterall we all know someone whose delt with a qualified yet incompetent tradie.

 

Thank you so much for the great inputs everyone. I certainly wasn't aware of all of these....

Sorry I forgot to mention earlier that the property itself is in good condition and there is absolutely no need for new paint. I got it 3 years ago and the previous owner re did the paint and floors etc. before selling.

Also I don't plan on selling this one off soon as it's doing very well so am in no need of getting the paint changed personally.

The tenants have been reasonable so far and I thought I should also be fair and not refuse their offer if it's not going to harm me. I'm grateful for posting here and receiving your replies.

 

In that case - nah.
It's your house, not theirs.

If they want to paint their house, as @Paul@PFI said - they need to speak to a mortgage broker.

 

I am a SHOCKING painter I can't tape, I can't cut in, I can't roll without getting splatters everywhere....
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@Austin 316 I'd recommend if you're open to the idea, get them to paint a wall or room first and then inspect the quality of the painting. Also make sure you agree to the colour & paint quality, ensure they remove fixtures/fittings instead of painting over them (e.g. door handles, tongues, striker plates, light switches, etc.) and make sure they wash the walls down first.

I like to specify that the work is completed "to a professional standard" so that if it's shocking, you have some sort of grounds to have them rectify. The only issue with this is that everyone's idea of 'professional' might be different so you're also really relying on you and the tenants both being reasonable people on the same page.

 

I'm not good with tape, so unless Hubby tapes, I just do it free hand. It looks the same, but with the tape it's a bit quicker. Fun fact, I can cut in with both hands to a high level freehand, but can't write with both hands.

So just easier to say no from the start.