To not put the house back to what it was?

[QuantumDog2]

I've rented the house I live in currently for nearly 9 years. When I moved in it was a new build and we were the first to live here, so obviously a buy to let. The walls were all trade paint magnolia and the carpets were cheap, exactly the way new builds are presented as standard.
Over the years I've decorated it and made some improvements like extending the patio and I spend £1400 on new flooring for the lounge because the carpet was worn out by that stage and looked grotty.
Now I'm leaving as I've bought somewhere with my partner, but contractually apparently I have to return the property the way I found it. I'm 6 months pregnant now and don't fancy donning my overalls and climbing ladders to paint. What would you do? I feel like after 9 years here and the time and money I've spent on the place (although my choice totally) I shouldn't really be penalised, but I expect I will lose my deposit?

I think it's ridiculous you should paint the house for a new arrival. They should be sorting that anyway between tenancies.
I wouldn't do it. Unfortunately you have now drawn their attention to the wall colour so you are a bit stuffed and it all will depend on how bothered they are about getting the costs back from you.
The only other route to sorting this amicably now you have started communicating with them about it, is to try and find out from the new tenant if they want to keep the wall colours. I would much prefer that lovely drift something colour to yukky magnolia.

Are you doing viewings? Ask prospective renters what they think and if most like it, let the LL know. Also let LL know how much money you’ve spent on improvements in case he has no idea - remind them you’ve been a wonderful tenant for 9 years and highlight why. LL should expect to paint and change carpets etc after 9 years! Let them do it

We have a wonderful LL who told us he want d is to stay for as long as we wanted and to make it feel like home so do whatever we wanted to. Love him for giving us that freedom and know that’s unusual for a landlord.

Sorry, but the contract you had and presumably signed was clear and the LL has been very clear several times they want the walls back to cream. When you asked for permission to paint they said yes as long as you returned it to cream. They have said it again.

I'd be sucking it up to be honest. You are not objectively correct no matter how much you prefer your own colour scheme.

@QuantumDog2

This is the wall colour I know they're going to take issue with. 🙈 And you can see the flooring a bit too, which is nice and neutral.

If it's neutral it's fine, leave it, but that wall isn't neutral.

You knew that it would need to be returned to a neutral colour when you first did it, so I don't know why you are complaining, just do it or get someone to help you if you're struggling.

You can't leave it like that and you shouldn't expect them to be OK with it. People generally prefer to rent places that look neutral and clean.

@Hothammock

I think it's ridiculous you should paint the house for a new arrival. They should be sorting that anyway between tenancies. I wouldn't do it. Unfortunately you have now drawn their attention to the wall colour so you are a bit stuffed and it all will depend on how bothered they are about getting the costs back from you. The only other route to sorting this amicably now you have started communicating with them about it, is to try and find out from the new tenant if they want to keep the wall colours. I would much prefer that lovely drift something colour to yukky magnolia.

OP only has to do it because they painted it a daft colour in between tenancies.

If it hadn't been painted blue they wouldn't have to repaint it. It doesn't matter what you think is a nicer colour, that's very subjective

It was stipulated at the start of the tenancy that walls had to be returned to a neutral colour before ending the tenancy.

I don't know how it can be clearer.

Difficult and depends whether they want to be an arse about it because I’m some areas of the house you’ve definitely improved it.

I like denim drift, have it in my bathroom here, but it’s a bold colour and not going to be easy to cover. I wouldn’t like it in my hallway either as it’s quite dark. The kids’ bedrooms are likely to be more problematic as people often paint them awful shades that scream ‘child’

The hall, stairs and landing are denim drift and you hope the landlord will be ok with that? 😂😂😂

Im a tad curious as to what green you uswd in the bedroom.....my son wants green!
I love that denim drift.

Technically, the landlord more than likely won't be able to claim anything, as youve been in over 5 years.

Morally you should consider whether it's really fair that you've asked if you can redecorate, he's been willing to let you IF you return to neutral, but you can't be bothered. I think you should offer £1-200 towards labour costs of painting (which will cost much more. Imagine how many hours a handyman will take, then times that by about £15-20 an hour).

Can I just say, all those who complain landlords don't let them decorate, change rooms, etc- this is why. If the tenant has painted black and green stripes in every room that can't be covered, and they can't be bothered to put it right, and the landlord can probably do naff all about it.

After 9 years without needing to decorate the landlord would be very cheeky to keep the deposit. If the landlord had had a tenant each year for 9 years they would have needed to paint it at least 4 or 5 times by now and would've had to change the flooring at least once.

Ask your landlord. After 9 years the place will need repainting and reflooring anyway. Unless you've painted the walls a very dark colour that is hard to cover over the landlord probably won't have a problem. It depends on your landlord, I would be fine with it, some are rotten scoundrels.

@OnTheBoardwalk

Vibrantly and denim drift sound quite extreme

This. It will take a lot of work to cover that up.

Taking loads of photos is key, as you move in and as you move out. Given the improvements that were allowed, I doubt the ll can take a deposit. He’s never re-painted or done maintenance so I doubt he has a leg to stand on.

I think it's cheeky on their part. You have been there for 9 years, and have been the only tenant. After such a long tenancy, they have to expect to put some money into the property!

I love vibrant colours and I can understand why you don't fancy repainting when you're 6 months pregnant and moving house, but the bottom line is, you knew what you signed up for when you chose to redecorate a rental property. Unfortunately your personal taste/opinion doesn't really come into it.

You have three options:

Paint it cream as requested

Get someone in to do it

Lose your deposit

Just pick an option and crack on. Personally I think getting someone in to do it for you would be the most cost effective and easiest option.

Did you get an inventory when you moved in? If not the landlord will find it difficult to claim anything. Add to that the 5 year wear and tear, and reasonably you could have asked for new carpets throughout plus redecorating at the 5 year mark and I think you have a good case to hold onto your deposit.

I'd email landlord, ask nicely for a copy of the inventory and say you have looked into it, and feel after 9 years with no maintenance or replacements, you think it's reasonable that the landlord covers the cost of neutral. I'd also point out you are being flexible in allowing viewings despite the inconvenience this causes, and if you were to start decorating you definitely couldn't accommodate viewings as you wouldn't have time.

@milkyaqua

I still can't believe you ripped up the carpeting and put in flooring - in a rental property.

The fact you were there nine years is irrelevant. It is a rental property, and not yours to 'redecorate' as you please without express permission from the landlord.

This!

Landlords check their properties regularly, or should do. Surely your landlord has known about what you’ve done and not said anything?

I can’t believe a landlord hasn’t checked their property regularly.

Your deposit should be protected by a scheme. If not your landlord could be prosecuted. Under the terms of the protection, you can argue about any attempt by the landlord to keep your deposit.

From a landlord's point of view, if we had a tenant of 9 years, we would expect them to want to make it their home and have no issue with that. We would also be minded to replace all flooring and do a full repaint once they'd moved out as really this should be done every 6ish years.

Based on the photo of your hallway, I'd be more than happy not to make any deductions from your deposit as you've taken good care of the property.

The landlord is taking the piss. They would have to repaint after 9 years anyway so will be using you to get it done at no cost.

It’s a bit of an unwritten rule, many landlords subscribe to the BMW decorating style. Brown carpets, magnolia walls and white woodwork.

It makes it easier, if every tenant painted their own colours can you imagine what they’ll potentially end up with. Denim drift is very dark for a hallway, landing and stairway. Maintenance would be fairly minimal on a new build.

Had a long term tenant - after so long, it becomes very hard to take things off the deposit in any case because of 'fair wear and tear'.
In my case, there were at least three things that should have come off but because the tenant had been there so long, agent said it wasn't worth it. In your case, I'd have been bloody delighted that it was so clean and I'd consider it a step up from when you moved in.
Your landlord may view it differently of course, as they have a paper trail re the repaint, but I hope they don't - my own was magnolia throughout but I would have been fine with any decent paint jobs tbh as I reckon the paint you used was probably posher than Wickes [wink ]
Good luck

@QuantumDog2

To add, I've contacted my landlord directly after the managing agents reminded me about repainting when I handed in my notice to leave. The landlord said everything back to plain cream walls please. At that point I told them I probably will not be doing this as I think they have a right to know. I tried to explain about being pregnant and not having time, but the bottom line is really that I can't be bothered. 🙈

Your reasons for not doing it are irrelevant and not the landlords problem.

Financially you have a fairly straightforward choice here. Will it cost you more to leave the walls as they are and potentially lose all or part of your deposit or would it pay you to get decorators in, restore the walls to a rental friendly magnolia and get your deposit back? If the decorating is the more expensive option then you might as well resign yourself to losing the deposit.

Emotionally it's more complicated. I can see it's galling to have made expensive improvements and not get any financial return or even appreciation from the landlord and agents for your efforts. However not seeing any return on your money is all part and parcel of renting. Try to see the costs as a premium you paid for a congenial living environment for 9 years not as a financial loss.

@Immaculatemisconception

Landlords check their properties regularly, or should do. Surely your landlord has known about what you’ve done and not said anything?

I can’t believe a landlord hasn’t checked their property regularly.

Your deposit should be protected by a scheme. If not your landlord could be prosecuted. Under the terms of the protection, you can argue about any attempt by the landlord to keep your deposit.

They know she’s done it. They told her she could as long as she put it back when she moved out.

She is now refusing to. She will lose her deposit and possibly be charged as well for how much it would cost for them to return it to how it was.

Oh, and the deposit is in a DPS.

God tenants are a nightmare. You asked if you could paint it. They said yes but you need to return to magnolia. What's so difficult o understand. You rent it you don't own it so why should the LL be out of pocket for you?