Decorating a rental property: landlord guide to redecoration

Decoration is one of the most visible aspects of a rental property and one of the most frequently disputed at the end of a tenancy. Getting the approach to decorating right, at the outset, between tenancies, and in terms of what tenants are permitted to do, reduces costs, reduces disputes, and helps maintain a property that lets quickly and at a competitive rent.

How often should a rental property be redecorated?

There is no legal requirement specifying how often a landlord must redecorate. The obligation is to maintain the property in a good state of repair, which under Section 11 covers the structure and installations but does not extend to cosmetic redecoration unless damage is attributable to disrepair.

In practice, internal decoration in an occupied property has a natural lifespan that depends on the quality of the initial work, the number of occupants, and the type of use. As a working guide, most landlords find that internal walls and ceilings in hallways and living rooms need repainting every 3–5 years under normal occupation; kitchens and bathrooms may show wear more quickly due to steam and cleaning chemicals; bedrooms are typically the least demanding.

Between tenancies is the most common time to redecorate, as the property is vacant and access is unrestricted. A fresh coat of paint at the start of a tenancy significantly improves first impressions, justifies a competitive rent, and resets the decoration baseline for the new tenant, which matters for any deposit claim at the end if the tenant causes damage.

What colour schemes work best for rental properties?

Neutral, light colours remain the dominant choice for rental properties for practical reasons: they make rooms feel larger and lighter, they are widely acceptable to a broad range of tenant tastes, and repainting in the same neutral colour is straightforward and cheaper than changing to a new colour scheme.

White or off-white ceilings, with walls in warm off-whites, light greige, or soft mid-tones such as pale grey, sage, or warm taupe work well in most properties. Avoid very dark or strong colours on walls as the main finish, they date quickly, limit your tenant appeal, and require multiple coats to repaint. Feature walls in a deeper tone are acceptable if they are well-executed, but the risk of the tenant damaging them or the incoming tenant disliking them makes all-over neutrals a more practical choice.

For kitchens, bathrooms, and utility areas, washable paint in either a satin or eggshell finish is preferable to matt emulsion, which marks more easily in high-moisture, high-traffic areas.

Can a tenant decorate a rental property?

Most standard tenancy agreements include a clause preventing the tenant from making any alterations, including decoration, without the landlord's written consent. This is standard and enforceable.

In practice, many landlords are willing to allow tenants to redecorate on request, particularly for longer tenancies, provided the tenant uses appropriate colours and quality materials, and restores the property to its original decorated state at the end of the tenancy (or agrees to a colour scheme with the landlord). A tenant who decorates well can actually save the landlord redecoration costs at the end of the tenancy.

What a landlord cannot do is require a tenant to return a property to a better decorated standard than it was in at the start of the tenancy, this would constitute a betterment claim against the deposit and would not be supported by a deposit scheme adjudicator. The check-in inventory and inventory documenting the decoration at the start of the tenancy is therefore essential evidence if a redecoration claim is to be made at check-out.

Can a landlord claim redecoration costs from the deposit?

Yes, but only in limited circumstances. The landlord can claim the reasonable cost of repainting if the tenant has caused damage beyond fair wear and tear, for example, significant scuffs and marks, holes in walls, graffiti or writing, or staining. The landlord cannot claim for repainting that is simply needed because the existing decoration is old and worn after a standard occupancy.

Proportionality and the age of the decoration matter. If the walls were freshly painted at the start of a two-year tenancy and need repainting at the end, the landlord may be able to claim the full cost if the damage is attributable to the tenant. If the walls were already five years old at the start, they were approaching the end of their natural lifespan regardless of the tenant's behaviour, and any claim would need to be proportionate. Our wear and tear guide explains the proportionate approach in detail.

Tax treatment of redecoration costs

Routine repainting and redecoration between tenancies is an allowable expense for rental income tax purposes, deductible from rental income in the year it is incurred. It is treated as a revenue expense, maintaining the property in its existing condition, rather than a capital improvement.

Upgrading the decoration significantly, for example moving from basic emulsion to expensive bespoke wallpapers or high-specification finishes that represent a material improvement to the property's standard, may be treated as a capital improvement rather than a repair, which is treated differently for tax. When in doubt, keep the scope of the redecoration proportionate to the existing standard of the property. See our guide to allowable expenses for landlords for the full treatment of maintenance costs.

Also see: Repairs · Fair wear and tear · Check-in report · Inventory · Tenancy deposit · Capital improvements · Allowable expenses · Section 11

Disclaimer: This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice. Landlord and tenant law is subject to change, and the information in this article reflects the position at the time of writing. You should always seek independent legal or professional advice before taking any action in relation to your property or tenancy.