ᐅ New Rental Property Construction – Plastering, Wallpaper, or Just Painting?

Hello everyone,

For our new build, we are currently in the process of choosing the wall finishes. We have constructed using a timber frame method, so the walls are covered with OSB boards and then drywall panels.

At the moment, we are still uncertain about how to handle this in the rental apartment. Should we choose the classic textured wallpaper, which is durable but can feel somewhat outdated? Some recommend non-woven wallpaper, while others suggest plaster. In rental properties, repainting and changes are common, so an option that allows for multiple paint applications would be ideal.

Currently, we are at level 2 drywall finishing (Q2), but for the owner-occupied apartment we plan to go up to level 3 (Q3) for a fine plaster finish. We will skip plaster in the stairwell due to the higher risk of wear and tear.

I’d be interested to hear about your experiences.

goldfisch138 schrieb:

We are currently still undecided on how to handle this in the rental apartment.

The tenant takes care of the wall covering you want—so specify whether it should be just painted or wallpapered (removing wallpaper from drywall can be quite frustrating and may damage the walls). Then the tenant does not have to renovate when moving out. I always find this great, and tenants usually appreciate it that way.
Otherwise, consider non-woven wallpaper, where you can simply peel off the top layer. This is useful if you want to provide a wall covering option for the tenant.

nordanney schrieb:

The tenant takes care of the wall covering you want—so you specify whether it should just be painted or wallpapered (removing wallpaper applied to drywall can be quite frustrating and may damage the walls). The tenant then doesn’t have to renovate when moving out. I always find this great and tenants usually appreciate it.
Otherwise, consider non-woven wallpaper that you can simply peel off the top layer. This is a good option if you want to create a wall covering for the tenant.

Yes, you basically mean that I specify what goes on the wall? I would do it that way anyway. Then the tenant has the "duty of care" to treat the wall carefully. We currently only have Q2 level and have already sanded, so for non-woven wallpaper we’d need to go to Q3. What would you recommend for the stairwell, rough plaster?