It’s only natural that tenants will want to turn a rental house into a home and put their own touch on the place, however decorating is a slippery slope that can have a bad outcome if the correct steps are not put in place beforehand. Here at Empanda Properties, we work closely with our landlords and their tenants in order to put together a mutually beneficial agreement that ticks all the right boxes, and we do our very best to ensure that these desires are upheld. Here are 3 important things to keep in mind if you’re thinking about decorating a rental property…
Always ask the landlords permission
Even when a property is being managed by a letting agency, it is essential that any potential changes are run through the landlord beforehand. If you’re interested in decorating then it may be a good idea to bring this up during a viewing in order to gauge how this is received before you decide to rent, however if you’re already an existing tenant then it’s definitely in your best interest to get in contact either directly or indirectly with your landlord. Put down your request in writing and detail the changes you would like to make so there are no loopholes.
Check the details of your letting agreement
Sometimes a landlord may put their stance on decorating in the tenancy agreement. It is important that you read through this prior to the commencement of any work as it may contain information about what the landlord permits and changes they would not like to be made. For example, drastic changes like installing new carpets may be refused unless the property is in severe disrepair.
Overstepping boundaries could put your deposit at risk
The relationship between landlord and tenant needs a balance in order to be mutually beneficial. At the start of a tenancy agreement, tenants are asked to provide a deposit in order to cover any intentional or accidental damage that is inflicted on the property. If you choose to overstep decorating boundaries or do not return the property to its original state at the end of your agreement then landlords and letting agencies are within their right to withhold some or all of your deposit in order to cover the costs.
There’s nothing worse than an overbearing landlord that wants to control everything that a tenant does during their tenancy, however the decision to allow a tenant to decorate is at the discretion of the landlord. From our experience, the majority of landlords allow tasteful decorating to be carried out as long as any extravagant changes are rectified at the end of the agreement. To find out more information, get in contact with the best estate agency around and speak to a member of the Empanda Properties team today!