WHAT CAN YOU DO IF YOU WANT

TO REDECORATE

A RENTAL? Maxine Fothergill, managing director of Amax Estates, president of the Association of Rental Lettings Agents and a

landlord for 22 years, explains the rules around

doing up a rental:

•

Generally, changing something will change what is in the inventory – and you don’t want that, because if you do that you could end up losing your deposit.

•

A good, well-drafted

tenancy agreement generally will not say

“no”; it will say “gain permission” – so first and foremost, speak directly

to the landlord or the agent looking after the property. If the landlord has agreed to allow you to

redecorate or change things around, make sure that you get it in writing to avoid any disputes or

loss of money on your deposit at the end of the tenancy. Email is

considered to be acceptable as long as it is clearly expressed.

•

If it is a six-month or other short-term tenancy, you

are less likely to be allowed to redecorate, but

if the landlord knows their tenant is looking for a long-term let, that’s a

different story. Most landlords don’t mind

people doing some painting as long as they put the decor back to the default neutral colours at the end of their tenancy.

•

If you are in a furnished flat and you are forced to

keep the landlord’s furniture, make sure you

note down any scuffs, stains, tears or breakages

when you check your inventory. If it is not great

quality furniture and it breaks through general

wear and tear, the landlord should replace it and that shouldn’t affect your deposit.

•

According to the Deposit Protection Service, you

should remember the following to ensure that you get your deposit back in full:

•

A landlord can claim against the deposit for

“breach and loss”. To achieve a successful claim

against a tenant’s deposit, a landlord must prove that the redecoration caused a breach of the tenancy agreement and a financial loss.

•

You can mend fixtures

and fittings, but make sure they match. A tenant

can replace fixtures and fittings – such as broken

door handles – if they have repeatedly asked their landlord to mend them and the landlord has failed to do so. However, such changes should be

well-executed: for example, the handles should match.

•

Weigh up decorating costs against tenancy

length. Even with a landlord’s permission, tenants, including those with longer-term leases, should balance the cost of any decor changes against the risk of the landlord

deciding to sell the property before the end of a tenancy without

a residing tenant.