Tenants & LandlordsRepairs and maintenance

Can a tenant paint without permission?

Last updated: October 15, 2026

Short answer

Usually not safely. We found no rule in the Acts we reviewed that says a tenant may or may not paint, so the answer comes from the lease and from the rules on tenant damage. A tenant who paints without a written yes risks having to pay to undo it. A landlord whose tenant painted without permission can ask for it to be put right, and can apply to the province's tenancy office or tribunal to claim the cost if it is not.

Do you need permission to paint a rental?

The Acts and government pages we reviewed do not say whether a tenant may paint. They do set the rules that decide what happens if a tenant does:

Tenant damage: a tenant must repair damage caused by the tenant or by guests. In Alberta the duty is not to do or allow significant damage. In Manitoba it is to take reasonable care not to damage the unit.
Wear and tear: a tenant is not responsible for normal wear and tear. British Columbia's Residential Tenancy Branch lists faded paint on walls as wear and tear. Whether a colour the landlord did not agree to counts as wear and tear is for the tenancy office or tribunal to decide; we found no guidance on it.
Move-out condition: in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island the tenant must leave the unit reasonably clean and undamaged except for reasonable wear and tear.
Your lease: a lease can add terms, such as a no-painting clause. We did not find any province's rule on whether a no-painting clause is valid, so ask the tenancy office if it matters. In Ontario the government guide says a lease cannot take away a right or responsibility under the Act.

Once a lease is signed, it can change only by agreement. In British Columbia the standard terms say a change or addition must be in writing and initialled by both sides, and a change that is not is not enforceable. Manitoba's standard form says changes should be agreed in writing and initialled by both sides. Ontario's standard lease says changes can be made only if both sides agree in writing. A written yes to a paint job is therefore a lease change, and it belongs in writing.

SQRFT advice, not law: ask in writing, name the room and the colour, say who will paint it back at the end (or whether the landlord agrees to leave it), and keep the landlord's written reply with your move-in photos.

If a tenant painted without asking

Whether an unapproved repaint counts as damage is for the tenancy office or tribunal to decide. We found no published decision or government guidance on it. What the sources do say is how a landlord recovers the cost of damage a tenant caused:

Province	Where a landlord claims damage costs
Alberta	RTDRS (up to $100,000, within 2 years) or the Alberta Court of Justice
British Columbia	Residential Tenancy Branch, within 2 years after the tenancy ends; the Branch hears claims of $35,000 or less
Manitoba	Residential Tenancies Branch claim for compensation
Saskatchewan	Office of Residential Tenancies, up to $30,000, within one year of the act or omission
Ontario	Landlord and Tenant Board, while the tenant is still in the unit or within one year after they leave; replacement costs can be claimed, normal wear and tear cannot
New Brunswick	Claim against the security deposit through a residential tenancies officer, within seven days after the tenancy ends
Nova Scotia	Director of Residential Tenancies, within one year after the lease ends
Prince Edward Island	Director, during the tenancy or within six months after it ends
Newfoundland and Labrador	Application for dispute resolution within one year after the tenancy ends; the landlord must show the damage was deliberate or negligent

Expect the amount to be reduced for the age of what was there. British Columbia's Policy Guideline 40 puts the useful life of interior paint at 6 years. Manitoba's Branch awards the loss of value, based on age, condition and useful life, not the cost of a replacement; it has no table, so the Branch decides. Newfoundland and Labrador's policy says a landlord is expected, at their own cost, to repaint walls periodically. We found no useful-life figure for paint in the other provinces' government sources.

Several provinces also let a landlord give notice to end the tenancy for extraordinary damage, or for damage not repaired within a reasonable time. Whether a repaint would reach that point is for the office or tribunal to decide. SQRFT advice, not law: start with a written request to restore the walls. See what to do if a tenant damages property and what counts as normal wear and tear.

Painting a rental in each province

Alberta

We found no Alberta rule on painting. The tenant must not do or permit significant damage to the premises, and must keep them reasonably clean. The Government of Alberta says an agreement, once made, cannot be changed unless both sides agree, so a paint approval is best put in writing. House rules can be added during the tenancy only with the tenants' written consent.

The Handbook says the tenant should leave the premises no worse than at move-in, allowing for normal wear and tear. A landlord can deduct damage costs from the deposit that the tenant has agreed to, and can apply to the RTDRS or the Alberta Court of Justice for the rest. We found no official useful-life figure for paint in Alberta.

Alberta move-in and move-out inspection | Alberta tenant repairs and maintenance

British Columbia

We found no rule that bars or allows painting. Any change or addition to the tenancy agreement must be agreed in writing and initialled by both sides, or it is not enforceable. A landlord cannot change the standard terms. The Branch lists faded paint on the walls as wear and tear the tenant does not pay for, and lists patching nail holes and cleaning marks on walls as minor move-out tasks.

At move-out the tenant must leave the unit reasonably clean and undamaged except for reasonable wear and tear. A landlord applies to the Residential Tenancy Branch for compensation, within 2 years after the tenancy ends. Policy Guideline 40 lets the arbitrator reduce an award for the age of the item (interior paint 6 years).

BC move-in and move-out inspection | BC tenant repairs guide

Manitoba

We found no Manitoba rule on painting. A tenant must take reasonable care not to damage the unit and must repair damage or pay compensation within a reasonable time after written notice. The standard tenancy form says any change or addition should be agreed in writing and initialled by both sides. A landlord can add or change rules on use of the unit during the tenancy if they are in writing, made known and reasonable. The tenant can ask the Branch to rule on whether a rule is reasonable.

The Branch guide says damage must be more than ordinary wear and tear to be claimed, and that the award is for loss of value, not replacement cost. On picture hanging, it says a tenant who acted reasonably has not caused damage, and that as a rule a tenant should not fill nail holes.

Manitoba condition reports | Manitoba repairs and maintenance guide

Saskatchewan

We found no Saskatchewan rule on painting. A tenant must repair damage caused by the tenant's actions or neglect, or by anyone the tenant lets onto the property, and is not responsible for reasonable wear and tear. The Act uses "reasonable wear and tear" but does not define it, and we found no useful-life figure for paint.

At move-out the unit must be reasonably clean and undamaged except for reasonable wear and tear. A landlord can claim against the security deposit within seven business days, or apply to the Office of Residential Tenancies for a monetary claim up to $30,000, within one year of the act or omission. Extraordinary damage, or damage not repaired within a reasonable time, is a ground for a landlord's notice.

Saskatchewan move-in and move-out reports | Saskatchewan repairs and maintenance guide

Ontario

We found no Ontario rule on painting. The standard lease says that once it is signed it can be changed only if the landlord and tenant agree in writing, so a yes to painting should be written down. A tenant must repair undue damage caused wilfully or negligently by the tenant, another occupant or a guest. Normal wear and tear is not the tenant's responsibility.

A landlord can hold only a last month's rent deposit and a refundable key deposit, and the rent deposit cannot be used for damage. To recover the cost of damage, the landlord applies to the Landlord and Tenant Board: while the tenant is still in possession, or within one year after they leave. The Board's brochure says replacement costs can be claimed but normal wear and tear cannot.

Ontario move-in and move-out inspection | Ontario tenant repairs guide

New Brunswick

We found no New Brunswick rule on painting. The tenant must repair, within a reasonable time, damage caused by the wilful or negligent conduct of the tenant or people the tenant lets in. The Standard Form of Lease cannot be altered except through the Act's process, with one exception: an addition the landlord and tenant agree that does not alter any right or duty under the Act or the lease. Whether a paint agreement fits that exception is for the officer to say, so ask the tenancy office.

The government says reasonable wear and tear is not the tenant's responsibility. The landlord claims against the security deposit within seven days after the tenancy ends, and the residential tenancies officer decides. We found no provision letting the officer order a tenant to pay more than the deposit for damage. For a larger claim, the landlord can ask the officer to keep holding the deposit, and must then start a court proceeding within 14 days after the tenancy ends.

New Brunswick condition reports | New Brunswick repairs and maintenance guide

Nova Scotia

We found no Nova Scotia rule on painting. The tenant must repair damage caused by wilful or negligent acts of the tenant or anyone the tenant lets onto the premises. The Act defines wear and tear as the usual depreciation or deterioration caused by living in the premises, relative to the length of the lease. A deposit claim may not include ordinary wear and tear.

A landlord applies to the Director of Residential Tenancies within one year after the lease ends, and the Director may order payment of money. We found no useful-life figure for paint for ordinary rentals, and no dollar cap on the Director's orders. Ask the Residential Tenancies Program if the amount matters.

Nova Scotia condition reports | Nova Scotia repairs and maintenance guide

Prince Edward Island

We found no Prince Edward Island rule on painting. The tenant must repair, in a good and professional manner, undue damage caused by the actions or neglect of the tenant or a person permitted on the property. On leaving, the tenant must leave the unit reasonably clean and undamaged except for reasonable wear and tear. The Rental Office says tenants are not responsible for reasonable wear and tear.

A landlord applies to the Director during the tenancy or within six months after it ends, and the Director can order payment and compensation. Unreasonable damage, or failing to repair it within a reasonable time, is a ground for a cause notice. We found no official definition of wear and tear or useful-life table for paint.

PEI condition reports | PEI repairs and maintenance guide

Newfoundland and Labrador

We found no rule on tenants painting. The tenant must keep the unit clean and repair damage caused wilfully or negligently by the tenant or guests. The Residential Tenancies Office's policy defines normal wear and tear as the deteriorating condition expected over time through ordinary use even though the tenant keeps the unit clean, and says a landlord is expected, at their own cost, to periodically replace flooring or repaint the walls.

A landlord can apply within one year after the tenancy ends and must show the tenant caused the damage deliberately or through negligence; normal wear and tear is not recoverable. Claims for damage are reduced by the age of the item. Ask the Office whether an unapproved colour change counts as damage.

Newfoundland and Labrador condition reports | Newfoundland and Labrador repairs guide

Related questions

Can a tenant paint the walls?

Only safely with the landlord's written yes. We found no provincial rule that lets a tenant paint, or bars it. The lease and the damage rules decide. A tenant who paints without agreement risks a claim to restore the walls or pay for it. British Columbia lists faded paint as wear and tear; we found no guidance on a new colour the landlord did not agree to.

My tenant painted without permission. What can I do?

Check the lease for a clause on alterations. Then write to the tenant, with photos, asking them to restore the walls by a date. If they do not, claim the cost through your province's route: the RTDRS or Alberta Court of Justice, the Residential Tenancy Branch, the Landlord and Tenant Board, or the office listed above. Keep before and after photos and a move-in condition report. See what to do if a tenant damages property.

Can a landlord say no to a tenant painting?

We found no rule that requires a landlord to agree, and a lease can include a no-painting clause. We did not find any province's rule on whether such a clause is valid, so ask the tenancy office if you are unsure. In Ontario the government guide says a lease cannot take away a right or responsibility under the Act.

Does the permission to paint have to be in writing?

The sources we reviewed do not require written permission for painting itself. They do say that changes to a signed lease should be in writing: initialled by both sides in British Columbia (required) and Manitoba (recommended), and agreed in writing in Ontario. SQRFT advice, not law: get it in writing, with the colour and who repaints at the end.

Does a tenant have to repaint before moving out?

If the landlord agreed to a colour change, the written agreement should say who repaints. If there was no agreement, we found no rule on whether the tenant must restore the colour; a landlord can ask for it and, if refused, claim the cost through the office or tribunal, which decides. Without a paint change, the tenant is not responsible for normal wear and tear. Check your province's move-out rules above.

Can a landlord keep the deposit for painting?

It depends on the province. In Alberta a landlord can deduct only what the tenant agreed to in the lease, and only if the inspection report rules were met, in Saskatchewan a landlord claims against the deposit within seven business days, and in New Brunswick the officer decides a deposit claim. Ontario has no damage deposit to draw on; the last month's rent deposit cannot be used for damage. Ordinary wear and tear cannot be taken from the deposit in British Columbia or Nova Scotia. See the security deposit interest calculator.

Is faded or scuffed paint damage?

Not normally. British Columbia lists faded paint on the walls and minor scuff marks as wear and tear. Landlords cannot keep a deposit for wear and tear in British Columbia, and Ontario's Board will not allow a claim for it. Newfoundland and Labrador's policy expects a landlord to repaint walls periodically at their own cost. See what counts as normal wear and tear.

Can I hang pictures or fill nail holes?

Manitoba's Branch guide says a tenant who acted reasonably when hanging pictures has not caused damage, but as a rule a tenant should not fill nail holes. British Columbia's page lists patching nail holes and cleaning marks as minor move-out tasks. We found no similar guidance in the other provinces' sources.

How much can a landlord claim for repainting?

The sources we reviewed do not set a fixed amount for repainting. British Columbia and Manitoba reduce awards for the age of the item; British Columbia's guideline puts interior paint at 6 years of useful life. Newfoundland and Labrador reduces claims by the item's age. Elsewhere, we found no figure, so the tribunal or office decides.

Does a landlord have to repaint between tenants?

We found no rule in the Acts we reviewed that requires repainting between tenants. In Newfoundland and Labrador, the Office's policy says a landlord is expected to repaint periodically at their own cost. See do landlords have to clean between tenants.

Can a tenant make improvements to a rental, such as changing a light fixture?

We found no rule in the Acts we reviewed that gives a tenant a general right to alter the unit, so the lease and the damage rules decide. A signed lease changes only by agreement, so ask the landlord for a yes in writing that also says who restores the unit at the end. Every province covered here makes a tenant responsible for damage they cause, and Manitoba's Act (s.77) names damage from installing or removing the tenant's own property.

There are narrow exceptions. Since July 1, 2026 Ontario lets a tenant install a window or portable air conditioner where the landlord supplies none, subject to written notice, no damage and the other conditions in the Act, and Manitoba's Residential Tenancies Branch guidance (an older guide, last revised in 2004) says a tenant needs the landlord's written approval before installing a security system. SQRFT advice, not law: keep the original fixture and put it back at move-out unless the landlord agrees in writing to leave the new one.

Government sources

General information, not legal advice. Rules change; check your province's tenancy office before acting.

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