Deciding to paint your apartment comes with it a barrel full of potential problems. While owning your own home or condo means you get almost full range regarding what you do with it, painting an apartment that you are renting from someone else takes other considerations.

Before you go down to the home improvement centre to start checking out swatches, make sure you go over the below points with anyone relevant to what you are doing. Trust us. Taking these precautions ensures that you not only get the apartment you love, but that you get to stay there too.

1. Clear It with Your Landlord

Some landlords will let you paint the walls in your apartment. Others don’t want you touching their glorious 1970s wallpaper at all. Before you bust out the paint cans, make sure you go over with your landlord that it’s okay to paint your walls. Furthermore, you may only be allowed to paint certain rooms or walls, or may have to have the colour preapproved.

Landlords need to make sure that they can still easily rent your place out should you move on. If your landlord doesn’t let you paint in your apartment, it’s time to find other ways to deal with your drab windows.

2. Tell Your Neighbours, Especially if You Live on the Ground Floor

One of the most courteous things you could do is tell your neighbours that you’re about to start painting your apartment. This is because the fumes may go through the walls or out your window and into theirs.

Not only is it the courteous thing to do, but it also informs your neighbours if they should go out for the day or close up their windows. If you live on the ground floor of your building this is especially important, as people walking by might be subjected to your paint fumes. (After all, you will want to make sure the room you are painting is well ventilated by opening a window, right?)

3. Pick a Colour that Fits the Aesthetic of Your Building

Some people paint their apartments and wonder why something still feels off afterward. This is because they have created a dissonance with their home.

If you live in a building that fits a certain style, you might want to make sure you pick a colour that matches that style. You don’t have to paint your walls the same colour as the exterior of your building, but it should at least create a flow that will help to calm you when you get home from a long day at work. You may not believe us now, but just ask anyone who has made this mistake before and you’ll see what we mean.

4. Prepare to Clean Up

Getting ready to paint isn’t the only thing you have to keep in mind. Painting an apartment comes with its own issues, and you should be prepared to face them should something go wrong. This includes angering your neighbours, going against rules nobody told you existed, and making sure you are considerate with the fumes and in cleaning up your mess afterward.

Don’t leave buckets of paint and brushes out in the main corridor where neighbours may trip over them. Whenever you do something that may create excess noise or smells in an apartment, you have to take everyone else in the community in mind. It’s not like painting a house that doesn’t really concern anyone else.

Whatever you choose to paint your apartment, you are sure to have a unique experience. Make sure you stay within guideline and are courteous, and you’re sure to have a beautiful new home in no time.