DH Painter & Decorator repaints rented homes in St David's, NN2, for private landlords and letting agents, about 1.9 miles north of Northampton town centre. Dean handles changeovers in interwar terraces, shared houses under the Article 4 HMO rules and privately let flats, with neutral, hard-wearing finishes.
Who rents homes in St David’s
Renting is the norm on many St David’s streets. EPC samples for individual streets show how it splits:
| Street (EPC sample) | Social rent | Owner-occupied | Private rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cranford Road | 69 | 42 | 25 |
| Rosedale Road | 41 | 27 | 17 |
| Newnham Road | 93 of 134 sampled homes social | ||
| Drayton Walk | 135 of 173 sampled homes social | ||
On most streets, private rental makes up somewhere around 10-25% of the homes sampled. Those private lets, mostly interwar terraces and some 1950s houses, are where we can help. They tend to change hands between tenants more often than owner-occupied homes, and each change needs a quick, sensible refresh.
Shared houses and the 2011 Article 4 direction
St David’s was one of the three wards, with Sunnyside and Obelisk, in Northampton’s first HMO Article 4 direction in March 2011, and it is covered by the wider 2012 Northampton North and Central direction. Converting a family house into a small HMO now needs planning permission. For landlords who already run a lawful shared house here, the property is harder to replace, so its upkeep matters.
Decorating a shared house is different from a single let. Halls, landings and the kitchen take far more traffic, and doors between rooms may be fire doors. We use scrubbable paints in communal areas, keep paint off intumescent strips and smoke seals, and make sure doors still close fully after painting. We can also work room by room when some tenants are staying put, so the house does not have to be emptied.
What a changeover in an interwar terrace usually needs
Most homes on Hastings, Cranford, Rosedale and Langdale Roads date from around 1939, with some on St Davids Road and Langdale Road going back to 1900-1914. Their original plaster often has fine cracks and patched areas, and these show up quickly under a fresh coat. On a typical changeover we:
- fill picture-hook holes, cracks and dents, and sand them flush;
- wash down marked kitchen and hall walls before painting;
- repaint walls and ceilings in one neutral colour throughout, so later touch-ups are simple;
- refresh skirtings, door frames and window boards in water-based satin;
- treat and stain-block any condensation mould around windows before painting.
We will tell you honestly which rooms need full coats and which only need touching in, so the money goes where it affects the next let. For a sense of what drives the cost, read our painter and decorator cost guide.
Privately let flats in the Newnham Road and Drayton Walk blocks
The 1970s blocks on Newnham Road and Drayton Walk are mostly social housing, but some flats are owned and let privately. For those, the job is usually the inside of a single flat: compact rooms, a small kitchen and bathroom, and one entrance door that may be the responsibility of the building’s freeholder or managing agent. We check that before painting it. Van arrivals are timed so the shared parking by the block stays usable for residents.
Access is easier to plan when we have keys and the inventory in advance. If you are a letting agent, we can collect keys from your office and leave the property ready for the cleaner and photographs.
Our main landlord and letting agent decorating page covers how we work with rental properties in general. For other work in the area, see our St David’s page.
Last updated by Dean, DH Painter & Decorator.
