Paint

I prefer semigloss for the kitchen and bath, and satin for the rest of the house. I also use one color throughout. Most recently we painted the last 2 houses with cashmere white, Kilz paint (they now have a line of indoor paint that is basically indoor/outdoor good for resisting mildew). I never use flat paint because it does not wash very well.
Boring subject, but necessary, right?

Rina

I once attracted a renter by offering child-proof "non-toxic" paint.

jrgnsn

For colors, stay with beige, tan or off-white. They go with any furniture color.

Al

Good marketing strategy, jrgnsn.
Which brings up another subject about paint. I hadn't thought about checking if what I use is non-toxic. I would hope most paint is.

Rina

I agree.

In one of the first rentals we ever owned, I let the renters choose the colors. Pink, pink and more pink. 1 year later they moved out and I obviously had to repaint. Boy, was that a pain covering all that PINK. I learned my lesson! Now I buy the same paint for ALL the rentals. Never have to guess about touchups, either.

Rina

I agree with the semi-gloss/satin finishes, for reasons stated, and off-white/neutral tones, using the same paint in all units. You can get it in 5 gallon buckets and save money. I also recommend a high-quality paint, as it will last longer and the color is less apt to fade. That makes it more likely that some spot patching will look good, avoiding the need to repaint the whole room. Unless the last tenant was a smoker...

cactusbob

On any of my properties that I sell, I use warm colors but use eggshell. It is still washable paint, but doesn' have the shiny factor. Anything that has a gloss will reflect the light and will show alot of inperfections on the walls.