Get landlord to pay for painting house?

mantasm · #1 04-19-2005, 10:29 PM

My girlfriend and I are going to be moving into a rental house next month. It's nice but the woman living there now has painted the walls pink and purple, and the cabinets dark turquoise. Also, her kid wrote on some walls with crayon. Anyway, we're planning on painting inside.

I'd like to get the landlord to contribute some money since we'll be improving the place. We'd be painting even if he doesn't contribute. Has anyone had any success getting your landlord to pay for improvements? How should I pitch this?

jakethebake · #2 04-19-2005, 10:33 PM

The best thing would have been to negotiate it when you were signing the lease. Outside that it will depend entirely on the individual landlord.

Bukem_ · #3 04-19-2005, 10:34 PM

Most likely it is responsibility of the woman who is living there now to return the walls to a neutral color and fix the crayon on the wall.

Leo99 · #4 04-19-2005, 10:46 PM

You can't just paint the walls because you don't like the color. You have to get permission from the landlord first. Paint is pretty cheap but trying to paint a light beige color over a dark color can takes many coats. You'll probably need to prime the walls first with cover up primer. Communication with your landlord is key.

Patrick del Poker Grande · #5 04-19-2005, 10:51 PM

My friends were successful in getting the landlord to pay for supplies to rebuild a set of stairs and patch the floor in the attic/4th bedroom and they provided the labor. It wasn't as much work as it might've sounded like and they were actually happy to do it. As far as I know, they pretty much just offered it up and he thought it was fair. He was a pretty good guy. I do, however, agree with the earlier poster(s) who suggested that this should've been negotiated at the time of the lease signing process, as well as that you should make it the responsibility of the current tenant to return the walls to a decent color.

mantasm · #6 04-19-2005, 10:52 PM

[ QUOTE ]
You can't just paint the walls because you don't like the color. You have to get permission from the landlord first. Paint is pretty cheap but trying to paint a light beige color over a dark color can takes many coats. You'll probably need to prime the walls first with cover up primer. Communication with your landlord is key.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm sure he'll be ok with it, the colors now make it look cheap and ugly. I'd planned on at least letting him know though.

My question is do you think it's reasonable to ask him to help out with the paint? I'm sure he wouldn't want the walls this color, and he gets free labor from us.

HDPM · #7 04-19-2005, 11:00 PM

The last thing many landlords want is you trying to paint. He might just do it or have it done if you ask. If you don't ask figure on maybe getting evicted. I would go ape if a tenant painted a rental without asking me. Because most tenants will do a terrible job. I am sure you are the exception....

mantasm · #8 04-19-2005, 11:05 PM

[ QUOTE ]
The last thing many landlords want is you trying to paint. He might just do it or have it done if you ask. If you don't ask figure on maybe getting evicted. I would go ape if a tenant painted a rental without asking me. Because most tenants will do a terrible job. I am sure you are the exception....

[/ QUOTE ]

We'd never planned on doing it without asking. I guess you could give me the landlord perspective. If one of your previous tenants had painted your rental awful colors and the new tenants asked if they could paint would you prefer to let them do it or hire a painter? If you did let them do it would you help with the paint costs? I guess really the only way to find out is to call him, but maybe you can help.

HDPM · #9 04-19-2005, 11:11 PM

I would be keeping the prior tenant's security deposit and doing it myself or hiring it out. I hate painting. Hate it. But no way do I turn unknown tenants loose on it. I am not the world's greatest landlord or anything, but in my short experience I have learned not to let tenants do much.

apd138 · #10 04-19-2005, 11:46 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I would be keeping the prior tenant's security deposit and doing it myself or hiring it out. I hate painting. Hate it. But no way do I turn unknown tenants loose on it. I am not the world's greatest landlord or anything, but in my short experience I have learned not to let tenants do much.

[/ QUOTE ]
He probably did keep the last tenants security deposit and is just trying to be cheap and get over on future tenants.