Apartment painters Melbourne owners and managers can book with strata-aware access planning and low-VOC options.
We coordinate with strata, use low-odour paints, and complete most apartments in 1–2 days with minimal disruption to neighbours.
Why apartment painting is not the same as house painting
Access is the part that catches people out. Lifts and loading bays usually have to be booked, buildings set their own working hours, and body corporate rules often restrict noise and odour. Sorting those details with the building manager before we arrive is what keeps a two-day job to two days rather than three.
Condition varies enormously by building age. Older walk-ups around Prahran, Elsternwick and St Kilda tend to have original plaster with hairline cracking and oil-based enamel on the trims. A recent build is usually plasterboard with water-based trim already in place. The two need different preparation and a different undercoat, so we confirm which you have at the quote stage instead of guessing on the day.
What an apartment repaint usually covers
Walls and ceilings throughout, doors, architraves and skirtings, and balcony ceilings where they form part of your lot. For end-of-lease and between-tenancy work we can align the finish date with your handover so the unit is ready for inspection.
Low-odour, water-based products are standard on apartment work. In a small, sealed space that matters far more than it does in a freestanding house, and it is the main reason owner-occupiers ask about paint type before they ask about price.
Before you book: what your building will want to know
Painting inside your own lot usually doesn’t need approval, but a lot of apartment work touches shared property: the outside face of your front door, balcony ceilings and balustrades, window frames and anything visible from a common area. Check your owners corporation rules first, and ask the building manager about working hours, noise limits, lift and loading dock bookings and any insurance evidence they require.
We can send our certificate of currency ($20 million public liability) on request, and we’re happy to speak to your building manager directly so the access details are settled before the first day.
Painting an apartment you’re living in
Most apartment owners stay home during the work, so the sequence matters. We work room by room, keep furniture stacked and covered in the room being painted, and use low-odour, water-based products so the whole apartment doesn’t smell of paint. Good ventilation matters in a sealed space, and it’s worth planning ahead for pets, sleeping arrangements and where the furniture from each room will sit while it’s being worked on. Our home preparation checklist covers the practical details, and our guide to painting apartments in Melbourne goes deeper on strata approvals and access.
Common apartment problems we plan for
- Hairline cracks in older plaster. Fine cracks are common in older walk-ups. They’re cut back, filled and spot-primed so they don’t reappear as shadows through the topcoat.
- Old oil-based enamel on trims. Water-based topcoats won’t hold on glossy enamel unless the surface is properly sanded and primed first, so we confirm what’s on your trims at the quote stage.
- Bathroom mould and condensation. Mould is a symptom of moisture, so we treat it, use moisture-resistant paint and recommend fixing ventilation, otherwise it comes back.
- Water stains from above. A stain from a neighbour’s leak needs the source repaired and the stain sealed before topcoats go on, or it bleeds through again.
Landlords, agents and end-of-lease work
For rental and between-tenancy repaints we quote a written scope, align the finish date with your handover or inspection, and leave labelled leftover paint so future touch-ups match. If you manage several apartments in the same building, we can plan the work so access bookings and building approvals are handled once rather than for each unit.
What the owners corporation covers, and what you pay for
Owners corporations usually fund painting of common property — foyers, stairwells, corridors and the building’s exterior render or cladding — through the building’s maintenance plan, on a cycle the OC sets rather than one you can request individually. What happens inside your own lot, including internal walls and balcony ceilings that sit within your title boundary, is normally your own cost.
The grey area is anything visible from outside but legally part of your lot: the inside face of a window frame, a balcony wall, or the front of your unit’s door. Some owners corporations treat these as common property on the OC’s cycle; others treat them as the owner’s responsibility. Check your strata plan and by-laws, or ask the building manager, before you book — it decides who pays and, sometimes, whether the OC needs to sign off before painting at all.
If the work is cosmetic and entirely inside your own lot, most owners corporations don’t need to approve it. Anything touching a shared surface or visible from a common area is worth confirming first, even if you’re fairly sure it’s your responsibility — a short email avoids a dispute after the job is done.
What's Included
- Strata and building access coordination
- Low-odour, low-VOC paints
- Lift and common area protection
- Quiet, respectful working practices
- Minimal disruption to neighbours
- Complete cleanup and rubbish removal
Our Process
Access Planning
We coordinate lift bookings and building access.
Protection
Common areas and neighbouring walls are fully protected.
Efficient Painting
Most apartments completed in 1–2 days.
Handover
Common areas cleaned before we leave.
Before & After
Before
After
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you work in high-rise buildings?
Yes, regularly across inner Melbourne towers.
Will neighbours be disturbed?
We use low-odour paints and work quietly.
Do I need strata approval?
We can advise and provide documentation if required.
Can I stay during painting?
Yes — we work room by room.
