05 Feb How Often Should Landlords Paint Rental Properties?
Is your rental property looking the worse for wear? Painting the walls is a great way to hide scrapes and scuffs. It also boosts the appeal of your unit and can allow you to increase the monthly rent. As a landlord, you may be wondering how often you’re required to repaint your property. In this post, we’ll go over some of the common causes for a new paint job, and which scenarios might require you to make cosmetic improvements.
Depending on the weather conditions of your property’s location, more frequent touch-ups may be necessary. The exterior of your property is the first thing that potential tenants will see when they come to view it. If it has faced extensive erosion by rain, hail, sun exposure, or snowfall, then it’s probably time for a new paint job. Consider how your unit will appear in photos if you have created an online listing. Chances are, the best tenants will expect the best maintenance, so having a rundown exterior will deter them. It can set a precedent for how the tenant will treat your property, as well – if they see that the paint is already damaged, they may not be respectful of your unit.
In general, it’s recommended that you paint a property before a new tenant moves in. This depends on how frequently you experience tenant turnover, of course. Long-term renters can do significant damage to the walls and exterior of a home. If you choose to paint after someone moves out, you won’t have to interfere with anyone during the process. It’s easier to access the walls when you don’t need to move furniture around or worry about getting paint on a tenant’s belongings.
Is your property listed as up for rent, but you aren’t receiving many inquiries about it? Every month that your property sits vacant is another month of lost revenue. A fresh coat of paint may be just what it needs to boost its appeal. It will show tenants that your property is well taken care of and managed. Newly painted walls will incentivize tenants to rent your property. Another reason to paint a house or apartment is to increase its market value. You can raise the monthly rent when all your walls are bright and spotless. Consider this when you are investing in new paint – it will probably pay for itself in monthly rent returns.
If you are lucky enough to have long-term tenants that are respectful of your property, keep them happy by offering to repaint some interior walls. Doing so will entice them to renew their lease yet again. In general, it’s recommended that you repaint your property every three to five years. If a tenant has lived in a space for five years, then you may be required to paint the unit. This can be the case even if the tenant has lived in the space for a shorter amount of time. For example, a tenant may have moved in only one year ago, but if the walls have not been repainted in six years, you may be mandated to paint them.
Many landlords lack the time to frequently paint their properties. Pinnacle Painting offers commercial painting services in Winnipeg. Your walls will look luminous for longer when the paint is applied by experienced professionals. Let us handle your upcoming paint job, which will keep your property looking clean, and your tenants feeling satisfied.