Moving out of a rental: what should you repaint?

If you are moving and have to hand back your rented home, sooner or later the question comes up of whether the walls need repainting. Perhaps you once chose a dark bedroom, there are dozens of holes from pictures in the living room, or there are stains on the ceiling. In this article you will read how to find out what your landlord expects, what you can do yourself, when it makes sense to bring in a painter and how to avoid losing part of your deposit afterwards.

1. What your landlord expects

There is no fixed rule saying you always have to paint when you leave. What is expected of you is set out in your tenancy agreement and in the arrangements you made at the start of the tenancy. Often the property has to be returned in the condition in which you received it, with the exception of normal wear and tear. Read that clause carefully before you get the rollers out.

Many landlords and housing associations carry out a pre-inspection a few weeks before the end date. That is where you hear which points they want to see put right. It is the ideal moment to ask questions: does a coloured wall have to go back to white, or can it stay? Note down what is agreed or confirm it by email, so there is no dispute at the final inspection. Broadly the same applies to commercial premises you rent, although the arrangements there are often set out even more specifically in the contract.

2. Normal wear and tear or damage

The distinction between wear and damage matters, because it determines who pays for the repairs. Slightly discoloured walls after years of living somewhere, or a few scuff marks by the door, are usually regarded as normal wear and tear. Large stains, bold colours the landlord did not approve or damaged woodwork are more likely to count as damage. If in doubt, the inventory report drawn up at the start of the tenancy helps, including any photos.

Take your own photos when you leave too, in daylight and of every room. Should a dispute arise later, you can then show how you left the property.

3. Bold colours, holes and stains

Most move-out jobs come down to a few recurring points:

• Dark or bright walls that need to go back to a light colour; that often takes two or more coats.
• Holes from wall plugs and nails, which are filled first and sanded flush.
• Stains from damp, smoke or grease, which need a stain-blocking primer so they do not bleed through.
• Damaged gloss on doors, frames and skirting boards, which is touched up locally.

It is precisely stains bleeding through and the difference in sheen between old and new paint that sometimes make a quick refresh turn out worse than you hoped. A ceiling with a damp ring that is simply painted over will often show the ring again after a few days.

4. Doing it yourself or outsourcing

Repainting a small bedroom in a light colour is something many people manage themselves. With a whole home, high ceilings or walls that need to go from dark to white, it quickly becomes more work than you can fit into a busy moving week. The pros and cons of both routes are set out in painting yourself or hiring a painter.

If an empty home is being painted white throughout in one go, spraying latex is often the quickest option: no furniture in the way and an even finish without lap marks. What that roughly costs is explained in the cost of spraying walls. For a broader indication of an interior paint job, see what interior painting costs. You will hear the actual price for your home after the free consultation.

5. Planning around your move

The best time to paint is when the property is empty but you still have the keys. So plan a few days between moving your belongings out and the final inspection, so the paint can dry properly and any small points can still be touched up. Latex on walls is usually dry within a few hours, but gloss on doors and frames needs a day or longer before it is properly hard.

If you live in Amsterdam and have to hand back your home at short notice, our painter can send a written quote within 48 hours after a brief walk-through. Read more about interior painting in Amsterdam or send photos of the rooms in advance through the quote form.

In practice this topic belongs with interior painting and commercial painting. There you can read about the approach and the options, or request a free, no-obligation quote straight away.

Further reading: Exterior painting in Purmerend, Exterior painting in Oostzaan, How much does a painter cost per hour?.

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