tips for getting fid of paint smell

[somedayillbesaturdaynite]

ok, i need to repaint a couple of walls/doors that dc have drawn on before my landlord comes to inspect and don't really want him to 'smell' that i've only just done it. does anyone have any effective tips for getting rid of the smell of paint asap and an idea of how long it might take for it to be gone completely?

Will they mind? Won't it show that you can be trusted to look after the house? No tips though, sorry.

unfortunately landlord is an arse and counts a scribble on the wall as 'damage to his property' (never mind that the whole house was undecorated when i moved in - just bare plaster or half primed over previous tenant's black glossing)

Be out when he comes round having forgotten the appointment and rearrange for couple of days later? Other than that, throw windows open and blast with fresh air. Can you say you just felt like decorating? :)

good ventilation and some scented candles?

I have had a tenant for 3 years now and never inspected once. We go in occasionally to sort minor problems and can see what state things are in then but an actual inspection! Never done that, tenant is an adult and it is her home so we respect that. Your LL sounds pretty poor, hope you don't cop for a fine!

Unless you use gloss paint or other oil based paint it won' smell after 24 hrs or so.

Normal emulsion doesn't really have an odour that lingers. Just cook a curry or some fish or something just before landlord arrives.

I personally love the smell of paint and would like my house to always smell of gloss paint

But has your LL actually told you you are not allowed to paint?

If not, then why does it matter? He won't know you did it to hide a scribble.

Just throw the windows open to get rid of the smell.
We had to paint our kitchen door at one of our rented homes after the dog accidently shut himself in the kitchen and then scratched at the door. we just painted it a couple of days before the LL inspected and he was none the wiser :-)

He is only coming around after a year of nagging about the damp problem. but on the one occasion he came before because the boiler was playing up he had a go about literally everything from the kids' discarded shoes/bags (at 4pm on a school day) to a corner or peeling wall paper in the bathroom. his dad is an old friend of my dad and he used to be on my fb, but everytime i posted any song lyrics he would call and say the neighbours were complaining about music (even when i wasn't at home posting from my mobile ) Would actually like him to serve me NTQ even though i haven't broken my tenancy agreement (basically the only way i could move as then the LA would have to re-house us) but he wont as he's quite happy having his mortgage paid while he neglects the property.

For gloss paint, put a bowl with malt vinegar and half and onion by dads a decorator and swears by this, it absorbes the smell.0

i just thought of emulsion-ing the affected areas and then glossing the doors at a later date. would 3 or 4 days be enough to get rid of the smell?

If you are living in a house with damp problems it can cause health issues so it should not be ignored. Your council environmental health team have a duty to ensure any landlord social or private provide a minimum standard of accommodation as per the HHSRS. If your landlord needs a shove they will inspect if you ask them to and even if the house isn't bad enough to warrant action they could still write to your landlord on your behalf stating the shortfalls and what needs improvement. HHRSRS
or
HHSRS

so you are not powerless under a rubbish landlord. :)

I can second the cut onion thing. It really does work.

I didn't use the vinegar as up thread but just peeled an onion cut it in half and put it on a plate. It did seem to absorb the smell. Room didn't smell oniony afterwards.

because of their friendship my dad doesn't want me to go down that route atm, and i have done it with a previous landlord who was allowing me to live in a property with a faulty boiler. i came here as an emergency fleeing dv and i am desperately trying to find new accom but not many LLs here will accept dss, even with full deposit & guarantor. i could probably get housing benefit to confirm he has been paid on time etc but will still need a reference of sorts i would think. i just want him to have nothing he can criticise when he comes so even though i wont be decorating anywhere that is still undecorated, i would like to touch up the rooms i have done and some of the doors upstairs have pen etc scribbled on them so at least some clean white paint will smarten it up a bit. he can't really complain about the rest (the undecorated rooms) seeing as my obligation is only to return the property in the same standard as i received it.

ahhhh, well hope that turns out OK. Sounds like an onion will be a good investment!

thanks Gin

The onion is defo the way to go. It made a huge difference in my house too.