What Colour Should You Paint a Rental Property?

Deciding on what colours to use to decorate your own home is challenging enough. However, picking out a palette for rental properties is even more difficult. 

If you're a landlord, you need to think practically. While you need to leave those interiors looking like a blank canvas to inspire prospective tenants, you'll also need to think about wear and tear. 

White paint and neutral tones are cost-effective and appeal to just about everyone, but they can sometimes leave a space looking bare. Sometimes, an empty shell is easily marketed to potential tenants. Other times, it can make it difficult for people to actually visualise living in a space. 

Wondering what colour to paint rental property you're looking to let? The good news is you don't have to stick to plain white and neutral colours. At Tikkurila, you'll find a premium selection of shades to give those rental property walls the makeover they deserve. 

Best Colours to Use in a Rental Property

Is this your first time getting a rental property ready for market? Whether you're sprucing up a building ahead of viewings or need to give a previously occupied premises a facelift, you'll need to get busy with those paint rollers. We've picked out some of our best paint shades for you to consider. 

Neutrals are the obvious choice for decorating rental properties. They're easy on the eye and work well in all styles of property. A fresh coat of neutral paint and semi-gloss gives a property an instant refresh, ensuring you'll have no trouble securing plenty of viewings. A neutral decor scheme can also help potential tenants imagine themselves living in a property. 

Acropolis F458 is a good choice if you're looking for a premium neutral that will both restore and enhance a rental property to its former glory. This earthy take on off-white leaves interiors feeling bright and airy, but it will also pair beautifully with more ornate details and natural materials. 

If you want something with more depth, think about using Mulberry H484. This off-white has grey undertones that allow you to tie in other design accents with ease. It's also surprisingly warm, which will ensure your rental feels inviting to would-be tenants. 

If you'd rather keep things simple, stick with white. Provided you don't need to perform too much maintenance work to get your property ready for the rental market, an all-white decor scheme is a stylish and cost-effective option. 

White delivers exactly what the name suggests. This is a pure and unadulterated white that will revive drab walls, interior doors and skirting boards alike. 

If you're worried about wear and tear, try something a little more complex. Paper F487 is a pure white, but there's a little bit of grey in the mix as well. 

For something with more vibrancy, try Arctic Fox S503. This white has a delicate touch of yellow, which will help bring life to a space once some natural sunlight floods in.

Light greys are a good alternative to off-white. They're relatively low-maintenance, making them the perfect choice for busy rental properties with many tenants. If a tenancy is only short-term, a light grey decor scheme will require minimal touching up, meaning you can get your property back on the rental market in no time. 

Think about using something like Necklace F428. This pale light grey is bright enough that it can be used in the place of an off-white shade. It will still bounce around natural light and won't make a space feel smaller, even if you're using no other colours. 

If you're prepared to invest more in the interior design of your rental property, try a chalky grey like Salvador Sky. This one can be used to decorate dining room spaces, lounges and bedrooms alike. It's soft and subtle, while minty undertones bring a refreshing edge. 

Cooler tones can also work well when decorating rental properties. Try something like Bungalow G500 if your space feels small and you want to open things up a little. This pale grey has hints of blue, making it ideal if you want to give the illusion of extra space. 

Decorating Tips for Painting a Rental Property

Are you a new landlord? Perhaps this is the first time you've ever had to paint a rental property. To make your life easier, we've singled out some of the most useful painting tips you'll want to bear in mind before reaching for those brushes and rollers. 

Avoid Bright Colours

No matter how confident you are in your design skills and knowledge of colour theory, avoid the urge to introduce all manner of bright colours to a rental property. Saturated hues and bold shades can prove an instant turn-off to tenants. 

Most landlords don't allow tenants to redecorate a property during their stay. You might be proud of that dramatic wall motif with contrasting colours, but a tenant may be struggling to picture themselves living with your creation. Tenants need a blank canvas that they can work with. A neutral backdrop can be easily enriched with decorative pieces and furniture. 

There's also no guarantee that you'll be able to track down a specific colour when the time comes to repaint your rental property. Make life easier on yourself by sticking with neutral shades that can be readily reordered in the future.

Use High-Quality Paint

Don't cut corners when painting a rental property. This is even more important if you've opted for an all-white decor scheme. Investing in premium paints means you save money in the long run. 

Budget-friendly paints might seem like a good deal, but you'll have to apply more coats to produce the same results you'd get from premium paint. The best paint formulas deliver excellent coverage and are more resistant to wear and tear. 

Opt For Washable Paints

While a neutral decor scheme has many benefits, it can create some minor issues for tenants and landlords alike. Sometimes, accidents happen and whitewashed walls can become stained. Darker wall colours can hide dirt, but these barely noticeable stains will have to be cleaned eventually. 

Washable paint is a good investment for any landlord. Tenants can keep on top of minor spills and stains as they happen, without them causing any damage to the paint colour itself.