Keep some security because tenant painted bright colors?

Question

I've never done this, but heard of it. It's a lot more work to paint over.  How much should I keep if a tenant painted 3 rooms bright colors?  Problem is this was an inherited tenant and I don't have a copy of her original lease.

Walt Payne · Answer

@Johann Jells No answers for how to make them pay, without a lease. But hit it with oil based Killz as a primer. That will help your coverage immensely when you try to paint over it.

Aly W. · Answer

It's unfortunate that without the lease, you'll likely have to just repaint. If the tenants have been there a long time, you'll probably have to repaint anyway. My lease states the tenants cannot wallpaper or paint. That didn't stop one of them from doing it though, and doing it in a horrible color, and poorly...among other damage.

When you get new tenants, go over the lease with them prior to signing it, and discuss every single point on it. It sounds tedious, but they need to hear it because they rarely read the lease. Make them sign the bottom of every page. And then just hope for the best.

Richard C. · Answer

What Kyle said.  If you don't have the original lease, you don't have a leg to stand on.  For all you know, the painting (and even the colors) were specifically approved.

Kyle Hipp · Answer

depends if they were allowed to paint or not. If it was allowed then you charge nothing. If that is a violation of the lease or they did damage during the painting, or really poor job then you charge what it actually costs to repaint the rooms properly.