When you rent a house or apartment, you have rights and obligations to the landlord. Is painting the residence the responsibility of the tenant or landlord? That varies depending on the situation. Below is an overview.
Start, during and end of your lease
- At the start of the lease, the property must be in good condition by the landlord. This therefore includes decently painted walls.
- Does the facade of the home need a new coat of paint during your lease? If so, the landlord must take care of that. Window frames and doors are also the landlord’s responsibility. If the tenant feels like changing the color of those, it’s best to speak to their landlord.
- When leaving the rental property, there is no legal requirement to repaint as a tenant. When you live somewhere (for an extended period of time), it is normal for wear and tear to occur to the residence. This is called “normal wear and tear.” It’s not your job as a tenant to refresh the walls with a lick of paint before you leave. So no, the tenant does not have to paint upon departure.
Exceptions
In two exceptional cases , however, the tenant is responsible for painting the rental property when he leaves. As a tenant, you must manage and occupy the property “with due diligence. This means that you must return the property to its original condition at the end of the lease. This is stated in the place description.
- Anything that falls under“damage,” however, is the responsibility of the tenant to fix before leaving the property. Are there stains, scratches, nail holes or wall damage from putting pipework on the wall? That should be left neat again.
- Have you tackled the walls with a range of bright and/or dark colors? If so, the law requires the tenant to ensure that the walls are repainted. “Difficult to repaint colors,” after all, are not a job for the landlord.
Note: If you as a tenant have suffered damage due to force majeure (for example: stormy weather breaks a window and damages the interior painting), the costs and work are for the landlord.
Conclusion: is painting for the landlord or tenant?
As a tenant, you are responsible for painting work:
- When using hard-to-paint colors.
- When you yourself caused damage to the property (stains, scratches, holes…).
As a landlord, you are responsible for painting work:
- At the start of a rental period (offering a residence in good condition).
- When the property undergoes “normal wear and tear.”
- For damages due to force majeure.
- When it comes to the facade, doors and windows.
At the start of the lease, you will make a mandatory place description together.
- A placeholder is required by law.
- The document provides a convenient overview of the condition of the property.
- It provides a handhold and ensures that no discussion can occur at the end of the contract.
Sources: Elfri, Rencura, Schilders & Verhelst Realty
Would you like to cite this article as a source? Then use:
Biets, R. (2024, Nov. 25). Is painting for the landlord or for the tenant? Apartment.be. Consulted on (date XX/XX/202X), from https://www.appartement.be/schilderen-voor-verhuurder-of-huurder
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