Age Old Question: What Paint Sheen for High End Homes

[Chris Lounsbury]

I am currently managing B+ to A class townhomes and they are all painted with a flat sheen right now.  I get complaints constantly about how quickly and easily the tenants damage the walls with minor scuffs and fingerprints, pretty much right from the day they move in.  We are providing pretty high end townhomes, and they immediately get damaged, leaving the tenants not feeling proud of the home they rented.  It seems as though painting with an eggshell would help prevent some of this damage.  The drawback is it does not look as nice when it is fresh, and is more difficult to touch up.  All of the painting professionals we use say that flat is the way to go, but I'm wondering if this is because they know they are going to get a full paint when the tenants move out because after a year of living, there's no way just touching up will be sufficient.  What are you guys using? What is the best balance of cost and looks?