You’ve spent lots of time, money and effort on your property, and naturally you might worry that tenants won’t treat the property with the respect it deserves. Unfortunately, even tenants with the best intentions might, on occasion, put holes in the walls. This could be because they had something hanging from the wall (anything from a cabinet to a picture frame) or had an accident, but either way, it is up to the landlord to prevent or repair these holes. 
Prevention tips
Whatever the reason for the holes, the best thing is always to prevent them.
One of the best ways to do this is to create a clause in the tenancy contract which clearly stipulates that the tenants are not allowed to make holes in the walls. Any breach of the contract means that the tenant is liable to pay for the cost of the repair.
If you give the tenants permission to hang things from the walls, ask them to use the correct equipment for the job – no using large, thick nails when a small photo frame nail would have sufficed (and made an almost non-existent hole in comparison).
Alternatively, the landlord could provide a packet of screw-less fixings so that the tenants can hang lighter objects, such as picture frames, without the need to make any holes.
Reaction
On discovery of new holes, the landlord should give the tenant the opportunity to fix them, if they still live at the property. If the tenant has already left the property, take pictures of the damage and send them to the tenant. Explain that these holes don’t usually fit under the category of ‘general wear and tear’. As such, the tenant will have to cover the cost of fixing the holes (of which they should already be aware).
If the responsibility of fixing the holes falls to you, then there are various steps you can take for an easy job.
You could try filling the hole with some sort of filler (e.g. Polyfiller), and then sanding down and painting over once dry. This doesn’t always give the best finish, but it’s cheap and quick and if the hole is small, is perfectly acceptable.
When painting over the hole, it is generally recommended to paint the entire wall, rather than just the area covering the hole, to ensure an even finish.
Alternatively, the landlord could hire a decorator to complete the work to a high-quality finish which is especially important if the holes are large (although this will be more expensive). If the holes are very big, a plasterer might be more appropriate.
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