Satin – The soft sheen of satin paint makes it the ideal choice for most of the rooms in a rental property. The finish is durable and perfect for both low and high traffic areas. Semi-gloss – Easy to clean, thanks to a glossy finish, this paint is ideal for kitchens and baths.
Most tenants won't like finishes that are too shiny or dull. That is why eggshell or satin finishes are the best choices because they offer a balance of beauty and easiness of cleaning. Even though semi-gloss and hi-gloss are easier to clean, they are also too vibrant for most people's tastes.
Popular neutral colors today include gray, white, beige and earth tones. Benjamin Moore paints that are popular in neutral tones include White Dove, White Heron, Swiss Coffee and Calm. Within the individual units, you can base color choices on the surrounding amenities.
Grays, tans, and creams are also highly recommended for rental properties. But when using gray, you should be careful. Very light shades of gray tend to be cold and darker shades may not be suitable to use in the entire rental. Dark neutrals are best for dining rooms, baseboards, doors, and accent walls.
Tip #1: Choose the right colors
The simplest way to resolve this problem is to go with neutral colors. Examples of neutral colors are grey, beige, tan, and off-white. The reason neutrals are recommended is that they are unlikely to offend tenants or clash with their furniture or décor.
Choose a Durable Paint Finish
When you purchase interior paint for your rental property, you can choose from many finish options. The best choices for rental properties are typically satin and semi-gloss paint.
Any “landlord off-white” tends to be a more palatable neutral, less expensive per gallon, and most importantly: it hides dirt. With landlords overseeing multiple units, possibly on multiple properties, time and cost are critical. They can stockpile cans and trust that the color will work in any situation.
Paint Colors
Stark white paint is too harsh and generally unappealing to most renters. Neutral colors, such as beige, light gray, or creamy white, provide a background that complements most tenants' decorating preferences and will appeal to more potential renters.
Eggshell finishes are more durable and easier to clean than flat finishes, but the subtle texture can show inconsistencies like roller marks.
However, eggshell will hide imperfections better than satin. What is eggshell finish best for? Eggshell is a great option for interior walls, as it hides imperfections well. It is recommended for low-traffic areas and areas that don't require frequent wipe-downs, as its durability isn't as high as glossier options.
If you're in a hurry, stay away from vivid colors like red; they can take two to three coats to cover a surface properly. You want to choose the right type of paint — that means water-based latex flat paint for ceilings, flat or “eggshell” finish for walls, and eggshell or semi-gloss for sills and doors.
It offers what you may expect - it's shinier than flat (but not as glossy as satin), and it's easier to clean than flat (but not as easy to clean as satin). Eggshell paint is a good choice for living rooms, hallways and bedrooms.
1 – A flat or matte paint finish – pros and cons. This is a low-sheen paint with a non-reflective finish that touches up well and conceals surface flaws or imperfections. For walls that have patches or are cracking, picking a flat, or matte, finish might be the best choice.
Repainting to neutral: Often, landlords do not allow tenants to paint the rooms unless they agree to repaint the walls to an approved color before leaving. If a tenant painted the walls, they'll need to repaint the original color.
Gray, beige, white, earth tones and other neutrals dominate our bestseller list when it comes to our most popular interior paint colors.
Since white is the lightest colour, it would seem to make sense that your interior would feel the brightest with white walls. But this is a very common mistake. Because again, white cannot ADD light, it can only reflect what is there. And in a low light room there are too many shadows.
Generally, painting at least every two to three years is a good idea, but if your tenants take excellent care of the unit and there aren't any obvious signs of damage, you could wait as long as five years.
Beige is neutral and not as stark as white. They can purchase large quantities of beige and paint every wall for less money than using colors. If a renter is lucky, the apartment managers/owners, will allow them to paint the walls in another color as long as they repaint in that same beige before they move.
A landlord can allow a tenant to alter the property by painting it for a more personalized touch. Still, there are restrictions, such as the range of paint shades permitted. Most landlords choose simple and neutral color schemes to prevent color clashes with different furnishing brought by different tenants.
Many landlords do give the tenants a choice of whether to paint or not but add a lot of stipulations into the lease agreement if they do. Common paint clauses include the landlord approving the color and that the rental has to be returned to the original color upon vacating.
Eggshell has a lower duller sheen than satin and is close to a matt or flat finish that you find in a lot of emulsions. It is reminiscent of the shell of an egg — hence its name. Satin has a glossier finish than eggshell and reflects more light, so is more likely to show up any imperfections.
A semi-gloss paint finish will read "shinier" than an eggshell. The shinier finish gives it more durability - making it even easier to clean with a harder dried film that is tougher and can take more wear and tear, but there's a downside. The more reflective the finish, the more imperfections it will show.
Poor quality of some trades, like drywall contractors, or framers, can make imperfections pop out if there is a sheen in the paint. Using flat paint keeps imperfections from being so noticeable.