What do I use to cover pinholes in wall of rental unit?

First I would suggest to soackle the pinholes first.

Wash the spackled areas to clean away all the excess spackle so only the only the pinholes are being fillrd.

Assess how the wall looks then, does it really need painting or cover-up?

If paint is needed I would use the lighter color of craft paint but consider watering it down, I feel that craft paint is more intense and thicker than wall paints.

Can you get a toothpaste that is close in color! Toothpaste is a great hole filler.

Jill you can use a 'Vinyl Spackling" from most paint stores referred to as a "Lightweight" if the holes are small. Just use a putty knife to fill the hole(s) Let dry and touch them up with the left over paint you have on your shelf (if you have it) You should not need to prime the holes if they are small enough however it wouldn't hurt to do so anyway. When the "Lightweight" is completely dry you should be able to just clean around the area with a damp sponge rather than sanding...Hope this helps.

I would mix a little craft paint into a small amount of Spackling compound. Mix it lighter than your walls, use a putty knife to press it into the holes. Allow to dry completely then wash off with a damp rag. Only the spackle in the pin hole should remain. Allow to dry and see how it looks.

😊

If the walls are white, you can use toothpaste or anything soft like calk to fill the pin holes so they do not show.

white toothpaste

Honestly, I wouldn't try anything. The landlord will likely not charge you for the pinholes but will certainly charge you for having to repaint because they will certainly notice the discrepancy in paint colors/finishes.

Repaint

If you use toothpaste, it needs to be WHITE toothpaste. Those gel ones won't work.

Yes I believe craft paint is thicker —but it can easily be diluted with water.

Please note your wall paint sheen when you choose your craft paint bottle as they come in different sheens too. Flat- satin and gloss see examples below.

I would chose a mid to lighter than a darker shade, perhaps try to tint the spackle. Allow it to dry and reassess.

The smell will go away. There's got to be a green colored toothpaste out there. Maybe google it. Even if its a little darker, it will not be noticeable.

As a former landlord of many rental properties for many years, I totally agree with Tae who said not to do anything. Best to leave it as is. The owner likely has leftover paint that can be used if the pin holes are noticeable enough to redo the walls. I've seen so many "fixes" by renters that have actually caused more of an issue than if they'd just left the place alone and perhaps been charged a small fee for the "pin hole" issue. If you can, please put yourself in the owner's place; they are not your enemy.

Hi Jill, hope this helps you. If you can take a small paint chip into the pai t store they can match it for you and mix a little pint of paint.