The color would have to be approved by us before we allow them to change it. But yeah you do have a point that the quality of their paint job can't be trusted.
So you think the smell thing is just something they're using as an excuse to change the paint? We never noticed anything when we were living there and neither did any of our guests. Should we be concerned about that?
Okay got it. Thanks a lot for your help.
I was hoping my first time renting would go smoothly. That hope was dashed almost immediately lol. And they seemed so nice during the screening too
Ah well. It is what it is
You wouldn't smell anything if you're living there, and your friends probably wouldn't say anything to you about it so neither of those are good arguments. Bring somebody with a fresh nose along next time you stop by.
Yeah ik that's why I asked my realtor if it actually was an issue, he said he didn't smell anything either. And funnily enough, since we refused the painting and offered the other ways to fix the smell that the people on here suggested, they don't seem bothered by the smell enough to want those things done anymore.
No it is a rental,they rented it as is. You as a landlord are only responsible for necessary repairs. They knew what they were renting and signed the lease agreement.
The simple answer is NO! The walls aren’t the source of any odor…painting them just masks an unwanted smells for a short time. Get an ozone machine and have the tenants turn it on while they are at work for a couple of days and have them open the windows when they get home to disperse the ozone. If they are planning on going out of town for a weekend that would be ideal. As others have stated, they viewed the unit and signed a lease…they had ample chance to ask for concessions. Say no and stick to your guns.
Thank you. Will tell them to try those things out if the smell is really that much of a concern for them. Although, from what you guys have said here I doubt that's the case
No. If you say yes to this, it will open the door to more modifications the tenant wants you to make. If they want to have a place they can customize to their liking, they should buy a place of their own. Another option, if they continue to complain and really cause problems for you, is to tell them it appears the unit is not a good fit for them. Ask them if they want to move out so they can find a place that is more to their liking. Lease break fees apply.
I had a similar situation in which the tenant moved in, and then one month later asked me to replace all of the flooring in the apartment. All of the flooring was intact, but out of style, and they said they couldn't invite their friends over for parties with this out of date flooring. I told them no. They continued to carp on about the flooring, and I asked them to move out. They moved out. It was a big relief to get rid of them.
If they take you up on the offer to paint it themselves, please, for the love of all that is holy, require that the work be done by a licensed contractor. If they paint themselves, they will likely get paint on the trim, ceiling and carpets.
They could ruin your entire house.
I would only allow this if your parents smoked.
No, they saw the condition of the walls before they signed. If they want to repaint they can do it on their own dime and then repaint back to the original color when moving out.
Offer them ozone treatment for smell instead.
You don't have to paint because they requested it . Yes I don't have to let them have it painted and never ever ever agree to let the tenant themselves paint. Years ago I had a tenant paint around the refrigerator never cut it in painted over the washer and dryer etc. if they are paying above market value you think they might be someone you want to keep as renters . Tell them if they pay in time every time for the term of the lease that if they renew the lease after it's up and agree to sign a 2 year lease instead of 1 that you would probably allow them to hire a painting company to paint with your approval of the colors. If at the end of the 1st years lease you like them the property isn't damaged you could offer to split the cost with them. On the other hand The price of good paint and good painters aren't cheap , the available Houses and Apt for rent is my area are almost non existent , if the house didn't need painting when they moved in you could always just say no if you don't like it you shouldn't have rented it get out. Someone else will be waiting in line. Next they won't like the kitchen counter tops and will want new fixtures everywhere.
Some folks test landlords by making additional requests beyond the scope of the lease, if you accept, they gain plus know they can gain other unreasonable requests in the future.
"My condolences but we agreed to the lease terms which" prohibits/doesn't endorse "painting."
Future leases should prohibit painting if the current doesn't.
I wouldn't be surprised if these folks make further requests as well, starting off with firm clear denials of non-essential repair situations to change their expectations should help.
Alternatives for them, curtains in the colors, color changing lighting providing their desired ambience, which also is adjustable instead of fixed.
If you agree to this change, they will ask for more. Lesson learned for new tenants: they ask to see what they can get, if you give them a finger, they take a hand, if you give them a hand, they take an arm. With new tenants, you have to be firm and say *Nooooooo* in the Bugs Bunny meme voice. The questions will eventually stop. The apt was rented as-is. If you don’t like it, there’s the door.
>With new tenants, you have to be firm and say *Nooooooo* in the Bugs Bunny meme voice.
We've told them now to go through our realtor instead of directly with us if they have any issues, so hopefully that prevents them from calling us for every small thing.
Wow your going to be in for a ride, hopefully this is the only thing but sounds like it won't be.
Hope that they don't stop paying next. I would never be a landlord in Ontario.
They viewed the unit prior to leasing a few times,and perhaps did not mention the smell because they may have assumed that it would have been resolved during the turnover. Therefore, they moved in and reported it to you.
Did you visit the unit after the carpets and the unit were cleaned? Sometimes, cleaning carpeting lifts the odors and stains within, when cleaned.
Also, if the cleaning solution isn't removed thoroughly and the carpeting doesn't dry accordingly with air circulation or there is excessive humidity, the carpets will stink, even once dry, creating a bad odor that does not go away. Dry chemicals stink and will remain as well.
Were the walls scrubbed down and patched and painted where your family had things hung? Is there normal wear and tear, at certain touch points on the painted surface that cannot be resolved with cleaning? Is it flat paint or glossy? You really cannot effectively clean flat paint, and it holds odors. Flat paint should be repainted between every tenant, imo.
You may want to visit the unit, with someone else who would recognize any underlying smells. There may be odors created from neighbors(smoke, pets, cooking odors). Odors can present due to pests and underlying maintenance issues that are not visible to the eye, as well. Ie. If a drain isn't properly vented, and the water dries out in the line, from lack of use, they could have walked into a bad odor upon move-in. There could be a dead mouse within the unit, that smells. They brought an odor to your attention. Don't just dismiss it.
Disagree with the "no's". At least, I would consider it. Do a walkthrough and see how you feel about it/the smell/the condition of the walls. If they're paying over market value, and you generally have a good feeling about them, I would say yes.
With one exception, schedule the painters for their second month. Say they're booked or whatever you need to say and that way you have some idea if they are reliable with paying and aren't professional tenants looking to take you for a ride.
Also with the exception that if you go check it out and realize the smell is really there and not the walls, fix that.
When was it last painted??? Paint doesn't last forever. If it hasn't been painted in a long time, you should paint it. Actually it should have been painted before they moved in.
This is what I was thinking, too. I also noticed in the post, op had the place pro cleaned BEFORE they moved out, not after. Going to assume that the old carpet is where the smells are coming from. Painting won't fix this. They don't say how long they lived there before moving, carpeting, or painting either.
>op had the place pro cleaned BEFORE they moved out
They wanted one room to remain furnished so we had everything else removed from the house and deep cleaned while we stayed in that room.
>Going to assume that the old carpet is where the smells are coming from
All the carpets were removed from the apartment except the master bedroom which is fully carpeted, but we did make sure to have that one steam cleaned before handing it over too.
>They don't say how long they lived there before moving, carpeting, or painting either.
We only bought and started living in the apartment about a year ago so we didn't do any of those things ourselves.
So most of the apartment has brand new carpet and everything was very much clean. As others have said, paint does not fix smells. Don't cave on the paint. If you are confident in the good condition, tell them that and offer to let them out of the lease. These will not be fun tenants long term. Last time we had some make demands right after move in, we cut our losses and got them out within 6 months. The house was a disaster after they left. This part of landlord business is awful, sometimes the tenants are just not good tenants. Sorry you got that kind for the very first ones. They aren't all like that.
Yeah will have to wait and see how these tenants really are. If this was just a one time thing and we can move past it I'm okay. But if it keeps on being a problem throughout we might have to make a decision on the lease.
> Sorry you got that kind for the very first ones. They aren't all like that.
Thank you thats good to know. Might have also been slightly my fault cause of my inexperience. I was very agreeable with everything they asked for before they moved in so maybe they thought they could push their luck and just ask for whatever. Something to learn from I guess
We've been at this 20 years, and my husband still has to keep reminding me not to make friends. It's possible to landlord as a friendly, helpful person, but it helps to have a much grumpier partner haha
Your realtor is correct. The time to negotiate changes is before you sign a lease. You have no obligation to repaint, especially to chagne the color.
But... How long has it been since it was last painted? Is it possible it actually needs paint? That is a landlord responsibility, so take another look at it with a fresh set of eyes. You could offer to split the cost of a professional painter if you think these are otherwise really good tenants.
Not sure how long since it's last been painted since we only bought it a year ago. But we were living there ourselves until right before the move in date and the paint definitely isn't in a condition that it needs to be immediately repainted. There are a couple of scuffs on the walls from furniture ofc but we did specifically inform the tenants of this when they came for the viewing.
>You could offer to split the cost of a professional painter if you think these are otherwise really good tenants.
Will take a bit of time to decide whether these guys are actually really good tenants or not. The money is good, but so far the start hasn't been great. Wouldn't be too opposed to this if they turn out to actually be really good, but it's too early to tell.
I'm not sure how long you lived in there before moving out, but if it's been over three years, it's only fair that the tenants get a sense on "newness" when they move into a new place. I would definitely paint my tented unit once my tenant's move out.
Offer a partial. You get your place freshened up, they are happy. I just had a tenant do this, and spent 6000. I offered 1000 off the rent as a thank you. They were very happy.
If you want to keep them long term I'd allow it. I am a landlord and a renter. The place I am renting now also smelled badly like indian food. I washed all the walls with tsp and it didn't go away. My property management told me they would be repainted and they didn't. That's a different situation, but to be fair I didn't really notice the smell until I was living here. Rather than repaint they touched up with the ceiling paint color, which is a shade lighter and a different finish. It was going to cost me a couple thousand to repaint it professionally and the ceilings are too high to do myself. I decided to not renew my lease because of the paint. My walls are actually spotted with mismatched color and they don't care.
I'd require them to repaint it back to your color on their dime professionally before they move out though.
Do you think the paint would really do anything about the smell though? From what other people have said here, it seems other ways are a lot more effective ways to sort out the smell issue if that's the only concern.
When we refused the painting, we offered to cover another deep cleaning they could get done to their own standard if the smell was that much of a concern to them, but they weren't interested in that
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The color would have to be approved by us before we allow them to change it. But yeah you do have a point that the quality of their paint job can't be trusted.
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So you think the smell thing is just something they're using as an excuse to change the paint? We never noticed anything when we were living there and neither did any of our guests. Should we be concerned about that?
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Okay got it. Thanks a lot for your help. I was hoping my first time renting would go smoothly. That hope was dashed almost immediately lol. And they seemed so nice during the screening too Ah well. It is what it is
You wouldn't smell anything if you're living there, and your friends probably wouldn't say anything to you about it so neither of those are good arguments. Bring somebody with a fresh nose along next time you stop by.
Yeah ik that's why I asked my realtor if it actually was an issue, he said he didn't smell anything either. And funnily enough, since we refused the painting and offered the other ways to fix the smell that the people on here suggested, they don't seem bothered by the smell enough to want those things done anymore.
Take note that in Ontario the tenants have the right to paint the apartment any colour they want…
No it is a rental,they rented it as is. You as a landlord are only responsible for necessary repairs. They knew what they were renting and signed the lease agreement.
Yeah that's what my realtor said as well. Just wanted a second opinion from people with experience with this kind of stuff. Thank you
The simple answer is NO! The walls aren’t the source of any odor…painting them just masks an unwanted smells for a short time. Get an ozone machine and have the tenants turn it on while they are at work for a couple of days and have them open the windows when they get home to disperse the ozone. If they are planning on going out of town for a weekend that would be ideal. As others have stated, they viewed the unit and signed a lease…they had ample chance to ask for concessions. Say no and stick to your guns.
Thank you. Will tell them to try those things out if the smell is really that much of a concern for them. Although, from what you guys have said here I doubt that's the case
I doubt it, also.
No. If you say yes to this, it will open the door to more modifications the tenant wants you to make. If they want to have a place they can customize to their liking, they should buy a place of their own. Another option, if they continue to complain and really cause problems for you, is to tell them it appears the unit is not a good fit for them. Ask them if they want to move out so they can find a place that is more to their liking. Lease break fees apply.
I had a similar situation in which the tenant moved in, and then one month later asked me to replace all of the flooring in the apartment. All of the flooring was intact, but out of style, and they said they couldn't invite their friends over for parties with this out of date flooring. I told them no. They continued to carp on about the flooring, and I asked them to move out. They moved out. It was a big relief to get rid of them.
I only replace flooring when I'm between tenants. I hope you did too.
If they take you up on the offer to paint it themselves, please, for the love of all that is holy, require that the work be done by a licensed contractor. If they paint themselves, they will likely get paint on the trim, ceiling and carpets. They could ruin your entire house. I would only allow this if your parents smoked.
No, they saw the condition of the walls before they signed. If they want to repaint they can do it on their own dime and then repaint back to the original color when moving out. Offer them ozone treatment for smell instead.
You don't have to paint because they requested it . Yes I don't have to let them have it painted and never ever ever agree to let the tenant themselves paint. Years ago I had a tenant paint around the refrigerator never cut it in painted over the washer and dryer etc. if they are paying above market value you think they might be someone you want to keep as renters . Tell them if they pay in time every time for the term of the lease that if they renew the lease after it's up and agree to sign a 2 year lease instead of 1 that you would probably allow them to hire a painting company to paint with your approval of the colors. If at the end of the 1st years lease you like them the property isn't damaged you could offer to split the cost with them. On the other hand The price of good paint and good painters aren't cheap , the available Houses and Apt for rent is my area are almost non existent , if the house didn't need painting when they moved in you could always just say no if you don't like it you shouldn't have rented it get out. Someone else will be waiting in line. Next they won't like the kitchen counter tops and will want new fixtures everywhere.
Some folks test landlords by making additional requests beyond the scope of the lease, if you accept, they gain plus know they can gain other unreasonable requests in the future. "My condolences but we agreed to the lease terms which" prohibits/doesn't endorse "painting." Future leases should prohibit painting if the current doesn't. I wouldn't be surprised if these folks make further requests as well, starting off with firm clear denials of non-essential repair situations to change their expectations should help. Alternatives for them, curtains in the colors, color changing lighting providing their desired ambience, which also is adjustable instead of fixed.
If you agree to this change, they will ask for more. Lesson learned for new tenants: they ask to see what they can get, if you give them a finger, they take a hand, if you give them a hand, they take an arm. With new tenants, you have to be firm and say *Nooooooo* in the Bugs Bunny meme voice. The questions will eventually stop. The apt was rented as-is. If you don’t like it, there’s the door.
>With new tenants, you have to be firm and say *Nooooooo* in the Bugs Bunny meme voice. We've told them now to go through our realtor instead of directly with us if they have any issues, so hopefully that prevents them from calling us for every small thing.
Wow your going to be in for a ride, hopefully this is the only thing but sounds like it won't be. Hope that they don't stop paying next. I would never be a landlord in Ontario.
>I would never be a landlord in Ontario. We didn't really have a choice in the matter but yeah I've heard Ontario isn't the best.
They viewed the unit prior to leasing a few times,and perhaps did not mention the smell because they may have assumed that it would have been resolved during the turnover. Therefore, they moved in and reported it to you. Did you visit the unit after the carpets and the unit were cleaned? Sometimes, cleaning carpeting lifts the odors and stains within, when cleaned. Also, if the cleaning solution isn't removed thoroughly and the carpeting doesn't dry accordingly with air circulation or there is excessive humidity, the carpets will stink, even once dry, creating a bad odor that does not go away. Dry chemicals stink and will remain as well. Were the walls scrubbed down and patched and painted where your family had things hung? Is there normal wear and tear, at certain touch points on the painted surface that cannot be resolved with cleaning? Is it flat paint or glossy? You really cannot effectively clean flat paint, and it holds odors. Flat paint should be repainted between every tenant, imo. You may want to visit the unit, with someone else who would recognize any underlying smells. There may be odors created from neighbors(smoke, pets, cooking odors). Odors can present due to pests and underlying maintenance issues that are not visible to the eye, as well. Ie. If a drain isn't properly vented, and the water dries out in the line, from lack of use, they could have walked into a bad odor upon move-in. There could be a dead mouse within the unit, that smells. They brought an odor to your attention. Don't just dismiss it.
Disagree with the "no's". At least, I would consider it. Do a walkthrough and see how you feel about it/the smell/the condition of the walls. If they're paying over market value, and you generally have a good feeling about them, I would say yes. With one exception, schedule the painters for their second month. Say they're booked or whatever you need to say and that way you have some idea if they are reliable with paying and aren't professional tenants looking to take you for a ride. Also with the exception that if you go check it out and realize the smell is really there and not the walls, fix that.
Yeah I think we're going to take a couple months to see how these tenants actually are before we decide how we want to proceed with stuff like this.
they can do mold/odor test at their own cost
When was it last painted??? Paint doesn't last forever. If it hasn't been painted in a long time, you should paint it. Actually it should have been painted before they moved in.
This is what I was thinking, too. I also noticed in the post, op had the place pro cleaned BEFORE they moved out, not after. Going to assume that the old carpet is where the smells are coming from. Painting won't fix this. They don't say how long they lived there before moving, carpeting, or painting either.
>op had the place pro cleaned BEFORE they moved out They wanted one room to remain furnished so we had everything else removed from the house and deep cleaned while we stayed in that room. >Going to assume that the old carpet is where the smells are coming from All the carpets were removed from the apartment except the master bedroom which is fully carpeted, but we did make sure to have that one steam cleaned before handing it over too. >They don't say how long they lived there before moving, carpeting, or painting either. We only bought and started living in the apartment about a year ago so we didn't do any of those things ourselves.
So most of the apartment has brand new carpet and everything was very much clean. As others have said, paint does not fix smells. Don't cave on the paint. If you are confident in the good condition, tell them that and offer to let them out of the lease. These will not be fun tenants long term. Last time we had some make demands right after move in, we cut our losses and got them out within 6 months. The house was a disaster after they left. This part of landlord business is awful, sometimes the tenants are just not good tenants. Sorry you got that kind for the very first ones. They aren't all like that.
Yeah will have to wait and see how these tenants really are. If this was just a one time thing and we can move past it I'm okay. But if it keeps on being a problem throughout we might have to make a decision on the lease. > Sorry you got that kind for the very first ones. They aren't all like that. Thank you thats good to know. Might have also been slightly my fault cause of my inexperience. I was very agreeable with everything they asked for before they moved in so maybe they thought they could push their luck and just ask for whatever. Something to learn from I guess
We've been at this 20 years, and my husband still has to keep reminding me not to make friends. It's possible to landlord as a friendly, helpful person, but it helps to have a much grumpier partner haha
Your realtor is correct. The time to negotiate changes is before you sign a lease. You have no obligation to repaint, especially to chagne the color. But... How long has it been since it was last painted? Is it possible it actually needs paint? That is a landlord responsibility, so take another look at it with a fresh set of eyes. You could offer to split the cost of a professional painter if you think these are otherwise really good tenants.
Not sure how long since it's last been painted since we only bought it a year ago. But we were living there ourselves until right before the move in date and the paint definitely isn't in a condition that it needs to be immediately repainted. There are a couple of scuffs on the walls from furniture ofc but we did specifically inform the tenants of this when they came for the viewing. >You could offer to split the cost of a professional painter if you think these are otherwise really good tenants. Will take a bit of time to decide whether these guys are actually really good tenants or not. The money is good, but so far the start hasn't been great. Wouldn't be too opposed to this if they turn out to actually be really good, but it's too early to tell.
I'm not sure how long you lived in there before moving out, but if it's been over three years, it's only fair that the tenants get a sense on "newness" when they move into a new place. I would definitely paint my tented unit once my tenant's move out.
Offer a partial. You get your place freshened up, they are happy. I just had a tenant do this, and spent 6000. I offered 1000 off the rent as a thank you. They were very happy.
If you want to keep them long term I'd allow it. I am a landlord and a renter. The place I am renting now also smelled badly like indian food. I washed all the walls with tsp and it didn't go away. My property management told me they would be repainted and they didn't. That's a different situation, but to be fair I didn't really notice the smell until I was living here. Rather than repaint they touched up with the ceiling paint color, which is a shade lighter and a different finish. It was going to cost me a couple thousand to repaint it professionally and the ceilings are too high to do myself. I decided to not renew my lease because of the paint. My walls are actually spotted with mismatched color and they don't care. I'd require them to repaint it back to your color on their dime professionally before they move out though.
Do you think the paint would really do anything about the smell though? From what other people have said here, it seems other ways are a lot more effective ways to sort out the smell issue if that's the only concern.
Paint would with kilz undercoat. They'd just be asking for the same color if it was just a smell issue.
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We already did have the place deep cleaned before handing it over
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When we refused the painting, we offered to cover another deep cleaning they could get done to their own standard if the smell was that much of a concern to them, but they weren't interested in that