Choose finishes that can handle move in and move out
Rental properties take more knocks than owner occupied homes. Bags scrape walls, furniture bumps corners, and tenants often clean with stronger products than they should. For that reason, the finish matters as much as the colour. In most flats and houses, a washable matt or low sheen finish works well for living rooms and bedrooms, while kitchens, bathrooms and passage walls usually do better with a tougher moisture resistant option.
If the property is near the coast in Gqeberha, Walmer or Cape Town, factor in humidity and salt in the air. Those conditions can make cheaper coatings fail sooner, especially on exterior walls, steel gates and window frames. In Joburg and Sandton, the issue is more often dust and strong sun on upper floors, so UV resistance and good coverage matter. The right product saves repeat callouts and keeps vacancy days down.
- Use washable wall paint where tenants are likely to clean marks often.
- Choose mould resistant paint for bathrooms, laundries and shaded rooms.
- Use exterior coatings rated for weather exposure on boundary walls and facias.
- Check that primers and topcoats are suited to plaster, gypsum, wood or metal.
Match the colour to the rental market not just your taste
Bright colours can look good on a sample card but they are not always the best choice for a rental. Neutral shades usually photograph better, feel cleaner and make it easier for new tenants to picture their furniture in the space. Warm whites, soft greys, light taupes and muted stone tones are popular because they suit most flooring and trim without looking cold.
That said, not every unit should be painted pure white. In older homes with patchy walls or mixed repairs, a softer neutral often hides blemishes better. ColouRight Paints can match existing paintwork, mix a sample pot for approval, and help you choose a colour that works across several rooms. If you manage a block of units, using one approved palette across the property also makes future touch ups faster.
- Test colours in natural light and under LED or warm bulbs.
- Check how the shade looks on north facing and south facing walls.
- Keep a record of the exact tint code for later maintenance.
- For multi unit rentals, standardise one ceiling white and two wall colours where possible.
Plan around vacancy dates and drying time
Speed matters when a property is standing empty. A good repaint plan starts before the old tenant moves out. Measure the rooms, check the condition of the walls and count the areas that need patching. If there is damp, peeling paint or water damage, sort that first because no topcoat will hide a failed surface for long. Quick turnarounds depend on proper prep, not just more paint.
For landlords in Korsten, Newton Park and Bellville, it helps to work in a fixed order: repairs, sanding, priming, first coat, second coat, then final touch ups. This avoids rework and makes it easier to hand the unit back on time. During load shedding, plan for daylight work where possible and keep enough product on site so crews are not waiting on small top up runs.
- Allow time for crack filling and drying before painting begins.
- Use fast drying products where the surface and weather allow it.
- Order all paint, thinners, tape and fillers before the crew starts.
- Keep a small labelled touch up tin for the final handover.
Surface prep is what keeps the repaint looking new
The biggest difference between a repaint that lasts and one that flakes within months is surface preparation. Rental walls often have old nail holes, dents from moving furniture and stubborn stains around light switches or cooker areas. These need cleaning, filling and sanding before any new coat goes on. If there is chalky old paint, a bonding primer may be needed so the new paint grips properly.
In older properties, especially around Gqeberha and parts of Cape Town, plaster repairs can show through if the wall is not sealed correctly. For exterior walls, check for hairline cracks, flaking on parapets and water ingress from gutters. It is cheaper to fix these points once than to send a painter back after the next rain.
Where tenants have smoked indoors or there are heavy cooking stains, use a stain blocking approach before applying the final colour. Otherwise the marks can bleed through and spoil the finish, even when the topcoat is new.
Keep materials simple for contractors and landlords
Rental jobs are easier when everyone works from a clear list. Contractors need to know the product type, litres required, the finish and which rooms are being done. Landlords and managing agents also need accurate quantities so they do not run short halfway through a job or overbuy paint that sits in storage. ColouRight Paints supports bulk quantity planning, contractor account help and trade order support for that reason.
A practical paint pack for a typical two bedroom unit might include interior wall paint, ceiling paint, a primer for problem areas, filler, sandpaper, masking tape and a couple of sample pots for the final colour check. For shopfront rentals or small offices, exterior touch up paint and a harder wearing trim product may be needed too. It is best to buy by coverage rather than guesswork, especially when walls are uneven.
- Ask for product recommendations based on plaster, drywall, timber or metal.
- Keep separate tins for ceilings, walls, doors and metalwork.
- Plan extra litres for high traffic areas and future maintenance.
- Label leftover tins with room names and tint codes.
A local repaint example from Korsten to Sandton
A small landlord in Korsten needed a two bedroom flat repainted between tenants in five days. The walls had scuffs in the lounge, damp staining near a bathroom ceiling and fading on the sun facing side. The plan was simple: repair, prime the damaged sections, repaint the interior in a light neutral shade and use a tougher finish in the bathroom and kitchen. Because the colour had to be close to the existing shade, a colour match saved time and reduced the risk of repainting the whole unit from scratch.
The same approach works in Sandton and Randburg where rental units often need a fresh look before new corporate tenants move in. In Bellville and Walmer, coastal or weathered exteriors may need an extra round of prep before the topcoat. The principle stays the same: choose a durable product, match the colour correctly and keep the schedule tight so the unit earns again sooner.
That is where practical advice matters. A repaint is not just a decor job, it is part of the rental turnaround and the propertys income cycle.
