Painting and decorating for landlords

Painting between tenancies

A void period costs rent every day, so decorating between tenancies works best when it is planned before the keys come back. Ideally the scope is known before check-out: which rooms need a full repaint, which need touching up, and whether any mould, stains or damage need treating first. With the property empty, work moves quickly because nothing has to be moved or covered room by room. For a complete refresh, see full-property repainting.

At check-out

Check-out is where decorating and deposits meet. Wear and tear is the landlord's cost, damage may not be, and the deposit scheme decides disputes on the evidence. Our end-of-tenancy painting page covers fair wear and tear, deductions, white-outs and itemised quotes, for landlords and tenants alike.

How often should a rental be redecorated?

There is no fixed legal interval. In practice, many landlords repaint the main rooms every few years and touch up between shorter lets. Kitchens, halls and stairs usually need attention sooner than bedrooms, and shared areas in HMOs sooner still. A tired finish makes a property harder to let and weakens any claim against a deposit, because adjudicators take the age of the decoration into account. Our guide on how often to repaint covers typical intervals room by room.

Finishes that last between lets

Paint in a rented property has to survive a few years of daily life and be easy to touch up. That usually means:

• A scrubbable or durable matt emulsion on walls, so marks can be wiped off.
• Water-based satin or eggshell on skirting, doors and frames, which stays white.
• Moisture-resistant or anti-mould paint in kitchens and bathrooms.
• A small set of neutral colours used across a portfolio, so touch-ups always match.

Keep a note of the exact colour, brand and finish used in each property, along with a labelled tin, so future touch-ups between tenants do not show.

Mould reports and repairs

A tenant's report of mould or damp needs a proper response, not just a coat of paint. The cause, whether a leak, poor ventilation or a failed extractor fan, has to be found and put right first. The affected area is then treated with a fungicidal wash, stain-blocked and repainted with anti-mould paint; the mould and stain treatment page explains how that works.

HMOs and larger portfolios

Houses in multiple occupation see more wear in shared kitchens, halls and stairs than a single-household let, so they benefit from harder-wearing finishes and a shorter repainting cycle in the shared areas. Fire doors in HMOs must not have their intumescent strips, smoke seals or closers painted over; these are masked or left untouched.

For agents managing several properties across Ealing, Acton and neighbouring areas, a standard specification for every void makes quotes quicker to compare and results more consistent from one property to the next. Shared stairwells and entrances in blocks are scoped separately as communal area painting.

Keys, access and empty properties

Most landlord work happens in empty properties, so access is agreed at the outset: collecting keys from the agent, using a key safe, and returning keys afterwards. Electricity should stay on, as decorators need light and power. Where the property is in a controlled parking zone, as much of central Ealing is, a visitor permit or parking plan is sorted out in advance.

To get a figure, the Instant Quote lets you describe each room and upload check-out photos. A decorator reviews them and confirms a fixed quote, which agents can pass to the landlord for approval.