The gap between a tenancy ending and the next one beginning is pure cost. Mortgage or loan payments continue, letting agent fees continue, and the longer the property sits empty the more pressure there is to accept a lower offer on the next tenancy. Getting the redecoration done quickly and to a standard that holds up for the next let is not about aesthetics — it is about protecting the income the property is supposed to generate.

Most landlords who have been burned by slow or poor-quality between-tenancy decorating describe the same experience: a decorator who was hard to get hold of, started late, worked slowly, and left a finish that started to chip and mark within months of the new tenancy beginning. This checklist is designed to help you avoid that outcome entirely.

Recent rental property decorating work by The Decorator Guy across North Tyneside and the wider North East. View the full portfolio.

Start with an honest assessment

Before booking anyone in, walk the property and be clear about what actually needs doing. There is a difference between a property that needs a full redecorate and one that needs targeted touch-ups. Getting that call right saves time and money.

• Walls — scuffs, marks, holes from picture hooks, any areas of flaking or damp-related staining
• Ceilings — particularly bathrooms and kitchens where steam and moisture cause discolouration
• Woodwork — skirting boards, door frames and doors take the most punishment and show wear fastest
• Window frames — UPVC rarely needs painting, but timber frames in older properties often do
• Mould or damp — must be treated before any decorating, not painted over

The room-by-room checklist

Colour choices that work for lettings

This is where landlords lose time. Bold choices narrow your tenant pool and make properties harder to photograph. Neutral is the answer, every time.

• Ceilings — brilliant white throughout, no exceptions
• Walls — a warm neutral mid-tone. Dulux Mist, equivalent from a trade range, or similar
• Woodwork — brilliant white in satin or gloss
• Feature walls — avoid unless it is a premium let where it adds genuine value

Turnaround — what is realistic

A standard 2-3 bedroom property decorated throughout — walls, ceilings and woodwork — takes 2-3 working days with a professional decorator. That assumes the property is empty and access is straightforward.

The mistake landlords make is booking too late. By the time keys are back and the inventory is done, they are already a week behind. Book your decorator the moment notice is given with a provisional start date. A professional decorator will hold the slot and adjust if the exit date moves.

Document everything before work starts

If there is tenant damage, photograph it before any work begins. We can provide before and after documentation on request — useful if you are pursuing a deposit deduction and need evidence of condition at the start of the redecoration.

This is particularly relevant for larger repairs — holes in walls, damaged doors, water-stained ceilings from unreported leaks. Inventory check-out photos alone may not be enough. A decorator's record of what was found and remedied adds weight to a deposit claim.

Managing more than one property

If you manage three or more properties, calling around for a decorator each time a tenancy ends is inefficient and inconsistent. A maintenance contract arrangement — where we become your regular decorator across your portfolio — removes the bottleneck entirely. See our property maintenance contracts page for how that works in practice.

Frequently asked questions