Can You Paint Apartment Walls?

You can paint your apartment walls if doing so is allowed as per your lease agreement.

If that’s not the case, you need to ask your landlord for permission.

If they permit it, you should make sure all the terms and conditions are transparent and discussed in detail to avoid future complications.

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Living in an Apartment

Since apartments are generally rented out, residents cannot make decisions about the décor, especially if one leads to a permanent change.

But because a rented apartment can feel too impersonal, tenants often feel the need to redecorate it one way or another to give it a personal touch.

And typically, painting is considered the quickest way to redo a home.

Possible Complications with Painting an Apartment

Many renters, if not all, can question why painting an apartment can be such an issue and doesn’t sit well with landlords.

More often than not, property owners have a policy according to which a person is not allowed to make any long-term changes.

There can be many reasons behind such a stance, but typically a landlord may choose to do so because

They are not sure how the new paint job will turn out
They don’t want to have to deal with the hard-to-remove blotches of paint.
They think that a basic color such as gray or beige will be easier and cheaper to touch up after the renters move out.

Whatever the reason, as a renter, you need to abide by the terms and conditions set in your contract.

However, if you really want to repaint your living space, you can talk to the agency or complex manager if there is a possibility for you to do it.

General Conditions for Paint Job Approval

Sometimes, a landlord may give approval for a new paint job when asked. However, they may put forth some stipulations that you must follow.

Getting the color pre-approved
Hiring a professional for the task
Changing back the wall color to the original shade at the time of moving out
Sticking to neutral shades

The provisos mentioned above are only a few of the most commonly applied ones when a property owner lets the tenant redo the wall color; there can be more depending on each case.

Points to Consider When Painting Apartment Walls

If you are adamant about giving your living space a new look, painting the walls may seem like the best solution, but there are things you should consider.

Discussing the Color with the Landlord

So you are gearing up to revamp your apartment walls because, finally, you got the green signal from the property owner.

But before you get elbow-deep into the process, you should have a discussion with your landlord to clear all the details of the project.

Have a meeting with the complex’s owner and ask them the things that are a big no-no, such as the texture or perhaps the color of the paint.

Let them know your plans, and ensure that they are on board because the last thing you need is to upset your landlord.

If the hue you decided on is too loud for them, discuss other options and try to find a middle ground.

Additionally, don’t forget to mention the formula texture you plan on using, i.e., matte or glossy.

Sometimes the formulation of paint can become a point of contention between a tenant and a property owner; you don’t want that.

You must remember that if you upset your complex’s owner by doing something they don’t condone, they can (and most likely will) sue you.

Don’t make the mistake of assuming that you can get away with doing whatever you want.

Always keep your landlord in the loop!

Computing the Costs Beforehand

Before you get all excited and run wild with brushes, assess the costs to make sure you have enough funds to afford the makeover project.

Painting is relatively not as expensive as other remodeling assignments, such as changing the floors, but there are expenses that you must consider before taking the plunge.

Think about the brand you wish to use and how much will that cost?

Next, calculate the volume of paint you’ll need to cover every inch of the area you want to repaint.

Will you be getting professionals to do the job, and if so, how much will they charge?

All of this cost computation should give you enough of an idea of the amount you need to take up the said undertaking.

Also, more importantly, you must not forget to factor in the price of changing the paint back to its original color at the time of moving out, which could be much higher than you think.

For instance, you decide to go with a bright hue, such as teal, while the shade currently covering the walls is plain white.

Slathering a darker color over a neutral one is much easier and requires minimal scraping and scratch work.

However, reverting to a nude shade from a deep color requires a lot more scouring.

Simply put, the cost of repainting could be less than that of going back to the initial color. Therefore, be sure you count all that before starting your apartment’s makeover.

Seeking Professional Help

As easy as it may seem, painting an entire apartment can get complicated for a layperson.

If you are one to dabble in DIY-ing every now and then, you might think that you can also paint every section of your rental unit on your own.

While that is certainly possible, there are risks involved with such a major undertaking. Therefore, think long and hard before making a decision.

Touching up a wall is one thing and taking up painting an entire apartment upon yourself is a totally different ball game.

When painting an expansive area, you are more likely to spill the formula on the floor or furniture. You may also not cover up things right like a professional would, leaving items in your home at risk of getting dotted with paint.

Sometimes people like to concoct a new shade by combining one or two paints.

This means the painter needs to be extremely careful with the formulation. Otherwise, they might paint different shades in patches.

If you wish to whip up a unique color for your apartment, you should definitely seek professional help, as experts know the exact volumes needed to come up with a new shade.

All in all, choosing a team of experts to paint your apartment walls is advisable as it reduces the chances of mishaps during the process, which can prevent you from losing extra money.

Deciding If The Painting Project Is Worth The Investment

When painting a house, an apartment, duplex, triplex, etc., you should run a cost-benefit analysis to determine if all your investment (in terms of money, time, and effort) is worth the trouble.

A lot goes into redoing an apartment’s walls.

From covering everything up and moving furniture to spend handsomely to having to move from one room to another, one has to go through quite a lot to have fresh-looking walls.

But all that effort may not be worth it, considering that you live in a rental unit. That’s not to say tenants should never redo their apartments.

What we mean to say is that there are many variables involved that you must consider before deciding.

Firstly, how much time is left in your lease contract? If it’s not much and you need to renew the deed in a few months, you might want to wait out and look for other places where you might not even need to paint.

Secondly, are you pleased with your current place, so much so that you don’t plan on relocating any time soon? If that’s not the case, then again, you must think before choosing to paint.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, what is your family situation? That is, do you plan to extend your family? If so, you might need to look for a bigger place in the near future.

Imagine, it turns out that you have to move only months after you get your apartment painted.

All your investments went in vain, and now you need to set aside funds to change the new wall color to the older one.

Those are essential points to consider when living in a rented unit before getting the walls painted.

Alternatives to Paint

If you want to bring a personal touch to your apartment and painting seems a bit risky at the moment, you can look for other options to lift your home.

Adhesive wallpaper

Adhesive wallpaper works like magic in transforming any space with minimal effort.

All you need to do is choose a design and paste the sheet on your apartment’s walls.

However, it can be rather pricey, so you might want to use it for the feature wall as that alone can bring a world of difference to your place’s interior.

Art Pieces

One much simpler option than painting to tweak the aesthetics of a place is by hanging art pieces. Choose exquisite artworks and put them up all over your apartment.

You can also bring plants as greenery instantly enhances the look of a space.

Ending Note

While you can paint your apartment walls, you must consider all the aspects of it before making a decision.

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