Paint repair quote excessive?
Question from David updated on 1st March 2015:
We have recently moved on from a two-year tenancy. During the tenancy there was substantial damage (our fault) to wallpaper in one room, which have completely stripped and repainted to the property manager's satisfaction.
However in another room there were over a dozen places where the paint on the walls had come off due to blue tack or 3M strips. These have all been painted over, but the paint is not an exact match, a slightly different shade of pink.
We have just received a quote of $584 to "repair" this', which seems massively excessive. What exactly is our responsibility here?
Our expert Juliet Robinson responded:
You are responsible for restoring any damage that is caused “intentionally or carelessly” by you or anyone else in the house. Using 3M strips to hang pictures is often acceptable, but that carries the responsibility for removing the strips carefully without causing damage. If your repair efforts were unsuccessful and the paint patches are readily visible, then it is likely that a repaint of the walls is necessary. That is still your responsibility, as it stems from the original damage. The quoted charge of $584 does not seem excessive, especially if it covers repainting all the bedroom walls. Repainting a ceiling in small room can cost around $500, so the quoted price for the walls seems very fair. I suggest you get the job done and move on.
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