Cost to replace a interior repaint (single room) in a short-term rental

$250–$700 typical range. 5-year lifespan under STR conditions.

What you actually pay to repaint a single room

Honest range: $250-700 per room. DIY (paint + supplies only): $80-150. Pro repaint (1 contractor, 1 day): $250-550. Premium pro (2 coats, full prep, baseboard touch): $500-700.

A standard bedroom (10x12, 8 ft ceilings, ~430 sq ft of wall): $300-450 pro. A larger living room (15x18, ~580 sq ft of wall): $450-700 pro.

DIY vs pro — the real breakpoint

A single room repaint is the most DIY-able STR project. One person, one day, $80-130 in materials. The bar to clear: cutting in clean lines at the ceiling and not leaving roller-mark texture.

DIY when:

• Single room
• Same color as existing (no color shift = no second coat)
• You have a 4-6 hour calendar window
• You’ve painted before

Pro when:

• 3+ rooms at once (labor efficiency)
• Color change (requires 2 coats + primer)
• High ceilings or vaulted (ladder work)
• Texture-matching needed (orange peel, knockdown)

A single room takes a pro 4-6 hours including drying. DIY takes 6-10 hours your first time.

Paint quality for STR

This is where operators try to save and lose. Buy contractor-grade or better. Never buy “value” line paint in an STR.

Skip: Behr Marquee at hardware stores (consumer-grade), Glidden, Valspar Signature. These touch up poorly, fade, and need recoating every 2-3 yr in STR conditions.

Default: Sherwin-Williams ProMar 200 ($45-55/gal). Pro-grade, scrub-rated, covers in 2 coats, touches up cleanly for 5+ yr.

Premium: Sherwin-Williams Duration Home or Benjamin Moore Aura ($65-85/gal). Highest scrubbability. Re-paintable in spots that get hand traffic (around switches, doorways) without flashing.

The cost delta is $20-30 over the room. The maintenance delta over 5 years is $300-500 in avoided full repaints.

Color choice that lowers STR maintenance

Save your white walls for the listing photos and your patience for everything else.

Best STR colors (hide wear):

• Soft warm whites (Sherwin-Williams Alabaster SW 7008, Benjamin Moore White Dove)
• Greige neutrals (Agreeable Gray, Edgecomb Gray)
• Mid-tone grays (Repose Gray)

Worst STR colors (show wear):

• Pure stark whites (any scuff is dramatic)
• Deep colors / accent walls (touch-up flashing is visible)
• Flat finish on hand-traffic walls (impossible to clean)

Sheen rule:

• Ceilings: flat
• Bedrooms / dining: eggshell
• Living rooms / hallways: satin
• Kitchens / bathrooms: semi-gloss
• Trim: semi-gloss or gloss

What to actually buy

Default paint: Sherwin-Williams ProMar 200 eggshell in Agreeable Gray (SW 7029) (~$48/gal). 1 gallon covers ~350 sq ft, 1 coat — a standard bedroom needs 2 gallons for 2 coats.

Roller + cover: Wooster Pro-Doo-Z 3/8” nap microfiber (~$18). Lay-down without splattering. Cheap rollers leave texture.

Brush: Purdy XL Glide 2.5” angled sash ($18). The cut-in brush that defines DIY paint quality.

Drop cloth + tape: $25 total. FrogTape Multi-Surface, canvas drop cloths.

Avoid: plastic drop cloths (slip hazard, holes), foam rollers (orange-peel texture), value-line paint at any tier.

Installation realities

DIY single room workflow:

• Hour 1: Mask, drop cloths, cut in around ceilings + trim
• Hour 2: First coat roll
• Hour 3-4: Drying break
• Hour 5: Second coat
• Hour 6-7: Drying + tape pull + cleanup

Pro single room: 4-6 hours total. Often done between turnover bookings (8am-2pm window).

Lifespan math

Signs it’s time

• Scuff marks that no longer wipe off
• Visible color fade from sun exposure
• Multiple drywall patches with mismatched paint
• Color is dated or doesn’t match listing photos
• Touch-ups are visibly different from surrounding wall

Related tools

• Maintenance schedule generator
• Damage cost lookup
• Drywall patch

FAQ

Last verified 2026-05-08.