NYC Apartment Painters (Move-In, Move-Out & Custom Paint)

Under NYC’s Housing Maintenance Code, landlords of multiple dwellings are legally required to paint or wallpaper apartments every three years. In practice, most landlords comply by sending a building super or day labourer to roll the cheapest flat white paint available over every surface as fast as possible — often painting directly over cracked plaster, nail holes, switch plates, and even cable wires. The result is the infamous ‘landlord special’: thick, lumpy coats hiding years of damage. If the paint job in your new apartment is clearly substandard, you can file an HPD maintenance complaint, but hiring your own professional painter to do it properly is usually faster and gives you a space you actually want to live in.

Most NYC leases contain a clause requiring you to return the apartment in its original condition, which includes wall color. The safest approach is to hire a professional painter to restore everything to standard ‘landlord white’ (typically Benjamin Moore Super White or a similar flat white) before your lease ends. Keep the receipt and take dated photos as proof.

Professional NYC painters include prep work as a standard part of the job — and it’s what separates a quality result from another landlord special. Proper prep includes: scraping and sanding any peeling or flaking paint, skim-coating crumbling plaster and filling nail holes with spackle, sanding the patches smooth, priming repaired areas (and entire walls if switching from dark to light colors), taping edges around trim, windows, and ceilings, and laying drop cloths over floors and any remaining furniture. The prep typically takes longer than the actual painting. If a quote seems suspiciously low, ask specifically what prep work is included — cheap painters skip it, and the result shows within months.

In most standard rental apartments, painting is considered routine maintenance and does not require formal approval beyond whatever your lease says about alterations. However, in co-ops, condos, and many luxury managed buildings, hiring any outside contractor — including painters — almost always requires the contractor to submit a Certificate of Insurance (COI) naming the building as additional insured before work can begin. Some buildings also restrict work hours (typically 9 AM–5 PM weekdays only) and require advance notice to the super. Always check with building management before scheduling the job. Local painters are familiar with NYC building requirements and can provide a COI on request.

One room including prep: 1 day. Full apartment (studio or 1BR): 2–3 days. Larger apartments: 3–4 days. Empty apartments go faster since there is no furniture to work around.

Before. Painting an empty apartment is significantly faster, cheaper, and produces better results since every wall and corner is accessible without moving furniture.