Denver, CO · Member since 2016 · 20 posts · 1 vote
I'm currently renting my home while I spend a year living out of state. The paper copy of the lease agreement states absolutely no alterations of any kind, although verbally I agreed to the tenant painting one of the rooms. I immediately regretted this decision after the first walk through. The first color they attempted was blood red, which was then covered by black. I don't care aboutthe color so much as the fact that the paint is all over the ceiling, chair rail, baseboard, and flooring. It's a disaster. He said he was planning on just painting the chair rail and base board since they got so much paint on it. They also didn't remove any outlet covers or switch covers before hand (what is painter's tape?????)
Anyway, my question is, can I make an adendum to the lease stating they can no longer continue painting due to the fact that they are causing physical damage to the property??
Rental Property Investor · St. Louis, MO · Member since 2014 · 741 posts · 424 votes
10y
@Carrie Nevins Ouch! Don't you hate learning the hard way. You do not need an addendum. You cannot really modify a contract orally, but you agreed to a one time waiver. Go ahead and rescind the oral agreement, as the job is complete and tell them why. Write a letter to the tenant to be clear of this point - that no additional modifications are allowed. In future, if the tenant wants a room painted, it must be done by professionals at the tenant's expense. With a quality primer, you will go back to a neutral color when the tenant vacates. Maybe they will stay a decade.
San Jose, CA · Member since 2015 · 4k+ posts · 3k+ votes
10y
@Carrie Nevins You know what I think you should do? Not acknowledge what they've done in writing in any way, shape or form. Don't text, don't email. Then, when they move out, charge them for putting the place back in the condition it was before they moved in - based on the written contract.
If they have no proof you gave them permission to paint, then they don't have a leg to stand on.
And certainly, you never intended to give them permission to paint in any manner they felt like, which would require major expense to fix.