Landlords’ Redecoration Responsibilities: What Are They?
Redecorating your rental helps protect your investment and keeps your tenants on side. Here, we’ll look at how often you should refresh your buy-to-let.
The law on rental redecoration
There are no specific rules on how often you must redecorate a rental property.
The law says that a rental property must be fit to live in, safe and free from hazards. So it is something that is open to interpretation.
Deciding on a suitable redecoration schedule
Opinions differ on this from person to person. A good rule of thumb is that a rental property may need redecorating every three to five years.
Some rentals will need refurbishing more often and others less. A property with a high tenant turnover, a short-term let or a student property will likely need attention more often than one with a long-term tenant.
The best approach is to take things on a property-by-property basis. Redecorate as and when you feel it is necessary to keep your property attractive to tenants, in good condition and to maintain its value.
Conducting regular inspections will help you spot when redecoration is becoming due and allow you to plan and budget for it.
Redecorating when reletting
There’s much to be said for freshening up your property’s décor between tenancies.
It is a lot easier, and sometimes cheaper, to redecorate a property when it’s empty.
A newly decorated property will also be more attractive to prospective tenants and may justify a higher rent.
Should you let your tenant redecorate?
Most tenancy agreements state that tenants cannot redecorate the property. Indeed, redecoration is one of the landlord’s maintenance responsibilities.
But, sometimes, tenants ask if they can make changes themselves.
There can be good reasons for considering this. Often, these are tenants who take pride in their home, look after it well and intend to stay long-term.
Again, a good approach is to take things on an individual, property-by-property basis. If you agree, stress that your tenants must restore the décor to its original condition when they leave.
Our professional letting and management service can help you deal with issues like this – and many more. If you want more information about what we can do for you, call or message us today.
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