Refurbishing a Rental Between Tenancies

Specify for the next five tenancies

The finishes that cost least over time are the ones that survive being cleaned aggressively and touched up easily. That usually means a durable washable emulsion in a single neutral colour throughout, so future touch-ups match without repainting whole rooms.

• One wall colour throughout, recorded by name and code for future matching
• Durable scrubbable finish in hallways, stairs and kitchens
• Satinwood or water-based eggshell on woodwork rather than gloss
• LVT or good-quality vinyl in kitchens, bathrooms and hallways
• Tiled splashbacks over painted walls behind sinks and hobs

Deal with the recurring causes of damage

Black mould in bathrooms and bedrooms is the most common recurring complaint and the most common source of dispute. Extract fans that actually run long enough, trickle vents that work, and insulation at cold corners resolve it far more reliably than repainting each void.

Similarly, worn silicone, failing grout and a poorly sealed shower tray cause slow water damage that only shows up between tenancies.

Sequence work into a short window

The order still matters even in a two-week void: any repairs and plastering first, drying time, then decoration, then flooring, then final clean. Plaster drying is the constraint that catches people out, so small repairs are better done with fast-setting fillers than a full skim if the window is genuinely tight.

Where a full replaster is needed, that programme needs more than a fortnight and should be planned into a longer void rather than compressed.

Compliance items worth checking at the same time

The void is the easiest time to deal with electrical inspection, smoke and carbon monoxide alarm coverage and any energy performance improvements, because access is unrestricted and nothing needs working around.