Tenant want to decorate...should I let him?

Ptolemyspuzzle

My first rental came with all sorts of stipulations about what I wasn't allowed to do in their house. No painting, no decorating, no pictures, no posters, no anything other than being an appreciative little soul for the LL deigning to accept my money from me.

I fell in love with the place at first sight, but within 2 months of moving in I absolutely hated the place and so I moved out asap. It wasn't my place. It was very much their place and they just wanted me to pay the mortgage. You sound an awful lot like that landlord.

Tenants often have to put up with things they hate about a property, things that if you were the owner you would simply change. The cupboards in the place I currently rent are bloody awful and would benefit greatly from a couple of the pull-out shelf type things which I would happily install myself if I wasn't so scared that my landlord will turn around at the end of my tenancy and attempt to nuke my deposit (much like my last one tried to do for things that were already there when I moved in!)

Tenants want a *HOME*. If you wish to keep any tenant for any amount of time I suggest you let them create that. The less things they have to "put up with" the more likely they are to stick around.

ripplyuk

OP, does your tenant know you're considering selling the place? They'll probably go off the idea of decorating if they find out the tenancy is shorter than they hoped.

Mela322

Whatever you do, get it all in writing for both parties. After renting for nearly 10 years, our landlord says we weren't allowed to do anything in the property, no pictures were allowed to be hung and no shelves put up.

Biggest lesson for us, get EVERYTHING in writing.

gillybean129

Ptolemyspuzzle wrote: »

My first rental came with all sorts of stipulations about what I wasn't allowed to do in their house. No painting, no decorating, no pictures, no posters, no anything other than being an appreciative little soul for the LL deigning to accept my money from me.

I fell in love with the place at first sight, but within 2 months of moving in I absolutely hated the place and so I moved out asap. It wasn't my place. It was very much their place and they just wanted me to pay the mortgage. You sound an awful lot like that landlord.

Tenants often have to put up with things they hate about a property, things that if you were the owner you would simply change. The cupboards in the place I currently rent are bloody awful and would benefit greatly from a couple of the pull-out shelf type things which I would happily install myself if I wasn't so scared that my landlord will turn around at the end of my tenancy and attempt to nuke my deposit (much like my last one tried to do for things that were already there when I moved in!)

Tenants want a *HOME*. If you wish to keep any tenant for any amount of time I suggest you let them create that. The less things they have to "put up with" the more likely they are to stick around.

OMG you don't know anything about me at all, so don't assume that I am like your landlord. As I stated I am OPEN to suggestions, I am not an intrusive person and I fully understand it's their home not mine. If they want or ask for something that's fine by me and btw I don't have no bloody awful cupboards and...last tenant left with full deposit despite it costing me £££'s to put things right as I consider there to be give and take on both sides.
I only wanted a bit of advice on decorating as the previous tenants were very happy with the decor so it never arose.

Owain_Moneysaver

I've known tenants want to redecorate, refurnish, recarpet etc ... then be unable to afford to pay the rent six months later and leave.

If the redecoration will make the property more attractive to future tenants (which usually means fairly neutral) then I'd allow, subject to it being done to a good standard, but if in doubt don't.

However no tenant will be interested in how much the paper cost or whether your parents loved it.

Dird

Laura Ashley is just an overpriced brand name, £27 for plain white....!!!!!!?!

You need to sort your head out first before you give them an answer. I'd be so annoyed with you if I was your tenant viewing this as my home for the next x years and you turn around & say you want them out in 6 months after just paying moving fees. You only make it worse making them waste time & money decorating on top!

If you plan to keep it longterm for rental income then let them decorate & don't be a control freak about it. What kind of landlord expects their tenant to whatsapp photos of wallpaper patterns asking for permission as they walk around a store?

POPPYOSCAR

Hope they are not like our ones who stuck pictures on the walls with what must have been 'no more nails'

We wondered why they had not taken them when they left but we soon found out when we tried to take them down!

[Deleted User]

I agree with the post on not being able to decorate in rental and how it affects the tenant.

You ARE making judgements, you ARE regarding it as your home still and wondering if they are going to take down the professionally done 'Laura Ashley' wallpaper. God knows, it might be that awful flowery stuff they used to do lolol.

I am now in social housing and even though its temporary, was in seventh heaven when I actually decorated my older son's room as he wanted, after years of private rental where there was no point because I'd only have to redecorate back to the original. It meant he never had 'his own' room (put Marvel Wallpaper up, his ideal, and it was done a lot better than the previous wallpapering attempt). I put up with it, took my obligations as a tenant seriously but it felt like I was in someone else's caravan for those years. It does affect your ability to make a 'home'. It does affect how you feel about a place you are paying a fair amount of rent for. Obviously this is completely normal for a private rental but how I hated it. We didn't have a home, we had a roof, that was all - that I could lose at any time the tenancy agreement was up. My LL was talking about selling for 18 months. It wasn't a pleasant 18 months. Some would say..,that's ok, you had 18 months to get ready.., but it didn't feel like a bonus, it felt like 18 months of not knowing what was happening.

The joys of being a tenant lol. Paying what may seem to a tenant a high rent, having a roof over your head but only able to decorate if you return it to the original,which there may be a need for in 6 months (after allowing viewings or the stress of refusing them - and ever six months you wonder if this is 'it'). So its never a home.

Decide if you are going to sell or not. If its a short term tenancy (six months and you'll sell) perhaps it might be wise to tell your tenant and not change your mind constantly about it (this happened to me) so they don't waste their time redecorating. Or if you decide to rent longer term, perhaps it might be wise to let them decorate. I know my LL was concerned I might not know how to paint until he wanted me to paint his ceiling (so he didn't have to employ decorators) after a ceiling caved in. Redecoration isn't hard to do if its a rental and you are prepared to just paint over whatever they do.

sniggings

marliepanda wrote: »

If they want to decorate it likely means they want to be a long term tenant.

As for 'approving it' and it 'being to your standard' he has to live with it, not you. Its currently his home. If, when he moves out, which could be many moons in the future, you feel your house decor has deteriorated solely because of this poor redecoration, then you could take some of the deposit for this. However, as he wants to decorate, he is likely to be a long term tenant, and may stay long past the shelf life of your current decor.

You're the landlord. Do you want a long term tenant or someone who likes your parents wallpaper?

Not if the LL gives permission for the change.

I agree with the rest of the post.

Sounds old paper to me, if it was your parents.

If they stay for 2-3 years, how old will that make the paper? are you really going to want to keep the same paper up when these tenants move out?

mozza78

Sounds like your emotionally attached to this place which is understandable if it was your parents but you need to view things more clinically. If you can arrange with your tenant what kind of decoration then surely it could be mutually beneficial in the long term... If they're nesting then they're more likely to stay which reduces possible void periods in letting. I had a tenant who asked to decorate and she substantially improved the place making her own curtains (although she was a very skilled artist) and leaving it looking fresh and lovely (she sadly had to move). It made getting new tenants in much easier for me and saved me having to pay out for a new lick of paint (not that that would have broke the bank). Personally I would always let my tenants decorate within reason as long as it wasn't going to cost thousands to put back.