More residents are turning to rent while they save up for their first home, or explore their options given the changing housing market. 

There are multiple factors that contribute to residents being priced out of the housing market, enough that an entire age group–termed generation rent–has a long journey ahead of them if they want to own property in the future.

While many residents will move from one rental to the next as a way to adjust to these conditions or to move closer to their workplaces as they seek employment that’s fulfilling and well-compensated, renters may feel that they can’t do much around the house without their rental provider’s permission, never mind making design changes to personalise their space. 

This also takes a toll on the rental provider’s time, as uninformed renters might think they need to call their provider for simpler maintenance tasks. 

Generally, straightforward repairs that only need uncomplicated tools and can be accomplished within a renter’s spare time don’t need the intervention of their provider. 

Renters can ask themselves these questions before they proceed with a prospective repair:

• Do you know the housing rules and regulations that the DIY repair may involve?.
• Does the repair require you to apply for a permit or written approval from your landlord?
• Does the job require professional expertise or specialised knowledge?

These questions give you a yardstick of how challenging the repair will be, but it’s not a definite gauge of how much you might need the expertise of professionals for the project. 

When do you need to call a tradesperson?

You need to enlist a tradesperson when you take on bigger, more complex projects like renovations or other improvements at that level. 

After their sign-off on the change, it will also help to get input from your rental provider on tradespeople they’ve worked with before. Even if this is the case, or if you’re finding an alternative tradesperson due to other factors like their availability or their rate, it’s important to keep the following practices in mind so you get the best professional for the project:

• Request at least three quotes with fixed prices, and clarify any applicable taxes
• Provide a written contract to agree on the cost and any possible issues like the timeline, responsibility for materials and clearing up.
• Ensure your builder has insurance, and check for warranties and guarantees.
• Never pay in full upfront; settle on a payment schedule and release payments based on milestones for specific deadlines on the repair being met. 

Whether you’re working with your provider’s preferred tradesperson or enlisting an alternative professional, it’s crucial you run this by your provider in case you need additional information or support about the property.

3 repairs you can do yourself in your rented space

When faced with a repair it can be daunting initially–either because you feel overwhelmed with the issue or because you don’t know enough about how to move forward–but luckily most common repairs needed in a rented space can be addressed simply enough. We list three kinds of repairs you can accomplish without having to call a tradesperson.

1. Painting

Too many kids’ crayon drawings or stubborn wall stains will likely only be sorted out with a fresh coat of paint. 

Written permission from one’s rental provider gives a renter the chance to update the space’s interior paint, which can easily be returned to its original condition when the lease is up. 

Some rental providers may be hesitant to allow repainting in the interior, but aside from the fact that this is a home improvement renters can make under new rental laws, renters can address this by coming to a compromise with their provider.

One way to address this is to run the colour by your rental provider, wherein you offer several options that you want in the space and your provider selects one. Another way you can go about this is to offer to repaint with the provider’s colour choice when it’s time for the space to get back on the market. 

When you’ve gotten approval from your rental provider, painting a rental is fairly simple to do with the right steps:

• • Prep the walls: Dust the walls and gently sponge them down with a solution of baking soda and vinegar diluted with warm water. If you have cracking or peeling, spackle and sand them.
  • Use primer: Priming with a white base coat ensures paint rolls on smoothly and shows the right shade. Some spaces with smooth, painted white or light grey walls can skip the stip, but if the walls are uneven or have been painted over several times, using primer is an essential step to show richer colour. 

• Start with the edges and use painter’s tape: Paint the corners and edges of the walls with a brush to ensure clean lines and to prevent bubbles or drips before going in with a roller, with painter’s tape as a guide to keep your edges straight.

1. Simple plumbing

Not every plumbing challenge requires the intervention of a professional or the support of a rental provider because they’re relatively simple to resolve with some effort.

Clogged sinks, drains or toilets are the usual issues renters encounter, and can be solved by either looking for the obstruction and removing it or using plungers on the obstruction. Using food strainers and hair catchers on sinks and drains, respectively, can help minimise the risk of repeated obstructions. 

Keeping a toilet plunger on hand is also helpful for toilet clogs, and an auger in case these don’t clear. Running toilets is also a common issue, and can generally be solved by adjusting the pull chain or replacing the flapper valve, which are both easy DIY tasks.

Contact your rental provider to fix flooding problems from broken pipes or busted water lines and issues related to water heaters and washing machines, as these projects need more technical support to address.

1. Furniture assembly and fixture installation

Despite what the somewhat complex instruction manual may have you believe, putting together furniture and replacing fixtures like hinges, faucets and drawer handles. 

Assembling furniture like a professional often comes down to being diligent about reading the manual and putting pieces together in order and in the right places:

• Get an idea of the process from reviews of the product before buying the item.
• Identify all the parts, then group similar items together and lay them out in order.
• Understand the process of what you will be doing and reread it from time to time as you assemble.
• Look for any arrows; these show the correct position a part needs to be in to assure proper assembly.
• Assemble furniture in the room where it will be used to avoid any possible scratches to walls and other pieces of furniture when it’s being moved.

After completing repairs like replacing broken furniture or updating your fixtures, you can also spruce up the space by decorating in rental provider-approved ways, which you can do by adding elements like plants or new lighting. These are relatively simple ways to breathe new life into your rented space without making changes hard to reverse when the lease is up.

All in all, most repair projects can be done with enough time from a renter who’s prepared to put in the effort and learn how to go about things. Hopefully, you never need to find a tradesperson for that repair you’ve been thinking of while reading. Need to move to another rental? Give us a call and we’ll find a property that’s ready for you.