Condo Painting serving Waltham and Metro West MA.

More than half of all housing units here are in buildings with two or more units: 23.0% in two- to four-unit buildings and 31.1% in buildings of five or more, including 9.1% in buildings of 50 or more. Some of those buildings are rental apartments, some are condominiums, and some are owner-occupied two-families. For painting, the difference matters because a condo splits responsibility between the owner and the association.

Under Massachusetts condominium law, Chapter 183A, the master deed defines what is a unit and what is a common area, and common expenses are shared by each owner's percentage interest. Who pays for a given wall, door or porch comes back to that document.

Inside your unit

Walls, ceilings and interior trim inside a unit are generally the owner's to paint, though the master deed and bylaws may say otherwise for items like the entry door's hallway face. The building's rules still shape the job: approved work hours, elevator padding and reservations, parking for a work van, and where drop cloths and ladders can sit.

For a unit in a newer complex, the work is mostly drywall touch-up and a repaint over builder-grade flat paint. For a unit carved from an older house, plaster repair and lead-safe prep can be part of the scope. Either way, the interior painting page covers the details, and cabinet painting can be added for a unit kitchen.

Hallways, stairwells and lobbies

Common areas take more wear than any room in a unit: furniture moved in and out, bikes, strollers and wet boots. A hard, scrubbable finish on walls and a durable enamel on doors, handrails and baseboards hold up better than flat wall paint.

Good common-area work is planned around residents. Notices go up in advance, one stairwell or floor is done at a time so there is always a clear path out, and wet paint is marked. Low-odor waterborne coatings help in corridors where windows are few. Trustees can find more on product choice in low-VOC vs. zero-VOC paint.

• Confirm in the master deed which surfaces are common areas
• Set a schedule residents can see before work begins
• Phase the building so exits stay open
• Request the contractor's insurance certificate for the association's file

Older buildings and lead in shared spaces

Over two-thirds of the city's housing units (69.0%) were built in 1979 or earlier. In pre-1978 housing, apartments included, the federal lead-safe rule covers paid work that disturbs more than six square feet of disturbed paint per room inside, or more than 20 square feet outside, triggers containment and cleanup requirements. Stairwell balusters, window sills and entry doors in an old building are typical places where that comes up.

Massachusetts runs its own version of the rule. Our lead-safe painting page explains what an association should expect.

Small condos and two-family exteriors

The census counts 2,921 units in two-unit buildings. When a two-family has been split into two condos, the exterior is usually a common area (the master deed confirms it), so the two owners act as the association: they agree on colors, the budget and the timing together. A two-unit association with no manager should still keep its decision in writing.

The South Side page looks at one census tract where most units sit in two- to four-unit buildings. For larger complexes, the Bleachery page describes a tract where 27.6% of units are in 50-plus-unit buildings and 19.4% were built between 2010 and 2019.