Whether you’re an owner or a property manager, if you’ve been dealing with apartments for any significant length of time, you’ve probably experienced something breaking or needing to be updated.

And that’s especially common in the bathroom, where long years and heavy use eventually cause fixtures to wear down and break. 

But you don’t necessarily have to tear everything out and rebuild Rome from scratch.

Instead, apartment bathtub refinishing can be your secret weapon to make your apartment look its best while also maximizing your profits and securing your investment.

1. Save Lots of Money

Replacing a bathtub is a costly process, especially when you factor in demolition, plumbing, removal and disposal of the existing tub, and the final installation of a new tub.

In most cases, apartment bathtub refinishing costs significantly less than replacing a tub while providing nearly identical visual results. 

As long as there is nothing seriously wrong with the underlying plumbing or another factor that necessitates replacing the entire unit, refinishing is usually the better option.

2. Prepare Units for New Tenants Faster

Most refinishing projects take one day to complete, and the tub is ready for use shortly afterward.

This means that refinishing can significantly reduce the time an apartment unit sits idle before being occupied again. 

By extension, apartment bathtub refinishing greatly reduces revenue loss from vacancies.

3. Make Things Clean and Updated

A newly refinished bathtub increases the bathroom’s appearance of cleanliness and makes it feel more modern.

For most potential tenants, the bathroom’s appearance and functionality can be the deciding factor in whether they sign a lease.

If the bathroom looks great and everything works properly, you’ll be far more likely to get a new tenant.

However, an otherwise great apartment with a bathroom that looks worn is unlikely to attract the kind of tenants you want.

Everyone wants their bathroom to be clean, well-lit, and fully functional, and refinishing the bathtub is a great way to achieve that without spending a lot of money on a full renovation.

4. Prolong the Life of Your Original Tub(s)

Bath tubs can crack, chip, and wear down, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re done for.

Refinishing will repair, seal, and protect the tub’s surface, restoring it and extending its lifespan (likely by many years).

Bathtubs are not like T-shirts or perishable food items.

Within certain limits, they’ll generally last as long as you’re willing to take care of them.

5. Disturb Other Tenants Less

Replacing a bathtub can be noisy and time-consuming.

That means it can be disruptive to other tenants in neighboring units.

Apartment bathtub refinishing, on the other hand, doesn’t involve removing the original tub and is far less invasive. 

It can be done much faster and with much less noise than a full replacement, reducing the likelihood of complaints fromneighbors.

6. Be More Eco-Friendly

The tubs removed during replacements don’t simply vanish into thin air.

They all have to go somewhere, and that usually means a landfill unless they’re salvaged for another purpose.

At the very least, removing a bathtub means you’ll need a new one, which will need to be manufactured (inevitably producing waste). 

If you want to reduce overall waste and negative environmental impact from your bathroom, apartment bathtub refinishing is a great way to do so.

7. Have a Uniform Look Throughout All Your Units

Many property managers prefer to maintain uniformity across all the units they manage (or as many of them as possible).

Doing so makes it easier to manage and upkeep everything.

By refinishing your tubs, you can create a consistent look and finish and standardize maintenance protocols, rather than having a whole different aesthetic in each unit.

This uniformity also creates a more professional and cohesive image of the property for potential tenants and investors.

8. Explore a Variety of Colors and Finishes

The standard white is the obvious go-to color for most bathtubs, but you’ve actually got a wide range of color options available to you.

And depending on your bathroom’s overall aesthetic, choosing a more creative color can make everything look even more attractive. 

Don’t be afraid to be a little more artistic.

Make your apartment stand out from the rest in a good way.

9. Increase Tenant Satisfaction

Tenants, like most people, would obviously prefer to live in a clean, well-maintained environment.

And as we said in #3 on this list, apartment bathtub refinishing is an effective way to make everything look much crisper and more polished without spending much time or money on renovations. 

A smooth, shiny, stain-free bathtub can make a substantial difference in a tenant’s daily life and lead to better tenant reviews, longer tenancies, and fewer tenant complaints.

10. Get Excellent Return on Your Investment

Since apartment bathtub refinishing costs less than replacements or renovations while delivering a comparable level of visual appeal, it can provide a quick return on investment.

Whether you’re looking to rent or sell, you’ll be able to negotiate and ask for more (in the rental or selling price) if your apartment (and bathroom) looks great. 

Like other income-generating assets, the demand for an apartment will be directly related to its quality and the ease or difficulty of the renter/buyer in managing it.

Final Thoughts

For apartment owners and property managers, bathtub refinishing can offer an enviable balance between cost and results.

While you shouldn’t attempt to hire the cheapest contractors for the job, a refinishing/reglazing will almost certainly be within your budget range.

And it can be an ideal way to modernize an older unit without breaking the bank or gutting the place.