Dean decorates rental homes in Delapre for landlords and letting agents, from 1930s terraced houses to flats such as those on Haines Road. The area is 0.9 miles south of Northampton town centre, beside the University of Northampton's Waterside Campus, and the typical job is an end-of-tenancy repaint done quickly and durably.
Why rental decorating comes up so often here
Two things shape the lettings market in Delapre. First, the University of Northampton’s Waterside Campus, with its student halls and townhouses, sits immediately to the north on University Drive. Second, West Northamptonshire Council has made two HMO Article 4 directions covering parts of Far Cotton and Delapre, one immediate (confirmed July 2017) and one that came into effect in September 2018. Those directions mean converting a house into a small shared let in the covered streets now needs planning permission, and councils generally make them where there is pressure for that kind of conversion. There are also flats in the area, including converted ones on Haines Road.
The directions are about use, not decoration. Repainting an existing let does not need permission. If you are planning a change of use, check with the council before booking the decorators. Our general approach to rental work is on the main landlord and letting agent decorating page.
Turning round a small terrace between tenants
A let in Delapre is often a 1930s terrace with a narrow hall and a straight staircase. They are small enough that a full repaint can be planned around a short void, but the layout sets the order of work. Mid-terraces have no side access to the garden, so everything comes in through the front door. We usually start upstairs, work down, and leave the hall and stairs until last so they are not marked by people carrying kit through.
For letting agents, it helps if we can get in straight after the check-out inspection. Keys, parking and any repairs by other trades, such as a plumber or electrician, are easier to coordinate if we know about them at the quote stage.
Mould on cold walls: the issue that comes up at check-out
Delapre’s interwar houses are mostly solid brick, recorded on EPCs as uninsulated as built. The outside walls of bedrooms and bathrooms run cold and attract condensation, so black mould in corners and behind wardrobes is common at the end of a tenancy. Painting over it does not last. Our sequence is:
- Wash affected areas with a mould treatment and let it work.
- Apply a stain-blocking primer so marks do not ghost through.
- Finish in a mould-resistant or anti-condensation paint on the worst walls.
- Note any outside cause, such as failed pointing or a leaking gutter, for you to have repaired.
Paint will not fix poor ventilation or a damp wall, and we will tell you honestly when the problem needs something more than decorating.
A specification that survives shared living
In a house shared by several students or professionals, walls get more knocks than in a family let. Keeping one specification across all your Delapre properties also makes future touch-ups quick.
| Area | Suggested finish | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Bedrooms and living room | Durable matt in one neutral | Touch-ups blend; photographs well for listings |
| Hall, stairs and landing | Scrubbable matt, eggshell lower down | Takes bags, bikes and moving day |
| Kitchen and bathroom | Kitchen and bathroom paint with mould resistance | Steam on cold solid walls |
| Doors, skirtings, spindles | Water-based satin | Stays white, wipes clean |
Many of these houses still have original panelled doors and deep skirtings under old gloss. Where the paint is sound we key and overcoat rather than strip, which keeps the job quick and avoids disturbing older layers that may contain lead.
For a guide to what affects the price of a rental repaint, see our painter and decorator cost guide. The Delapre area page lists everything else we cover here.
Last updated by Dean, DH Painter & Decorator.
