Hanging Pictures, Mirrors etc in Rented Property

chickmug

What is reasonable for the landlord to expect. Tenants to hammer in nails or use screws wherever they see fit to hang prictures. Or a policy of No new nails or screws. And do tenants take any notice whatever the rules?

Debt_Free_Chick

What does the agreement say? And what's in the inventory about existing marks/damage?

My agreement states I must "make good" any marks/damage and return the property in the same condition as the inventory i.e. with no further damage, save for normal wear & tear.

3dsmills

im sure someone will be on their way to give you an answer but personally I would just drop your LL an email telling him what you want to hang and where you want to hang it so you get a reply in writing. Not worth losing your deposit over.

chickmug

3dsmills wrote: »

im sure someone will be on their way to give you an answer but personally I would just drop your LL an email telling him what you want to hang and where you want to hang it so you get a reply in writing. Not worth losing your deposit over.

Sorry if my posting was unclear but asking from my perspective as a LL. I do recognise that the tenants need to make the place homely, with relaxed rules but at the same time must protect my position.

Debt_Free_Chick

As a tenant, I'd like the LL to give me the means to make any marks good, when I leave. As these should only be a simple nail-mark, then please let me have some of the paint you used, so can cover the nail-holes up when I leave.

If you've used a unique or unusual wallpaper instead, then I won't be putting pictures up as I can't make good any "damage".

meeps

we asked permission via our letting agent and the landlord said we could put up one proper picture hook per room, I got a kit and its 2 tacks securing a brass hook- I will ask when we leave if they want them left or taken out and painted over.

3dsmills

chickmug wrote: »

Sorry if my posting was unclear but asking from my perspective as a LL. I do recognise that the tenants need to make the place homely, with relaxed rules but at the same time must protect my position.

ah, ok, well in that case, i'd say tenants would take notice of the rules, if they want their deposit back

Conrad

Chick I faced this when I was a LL. I decided not to allow any hanging, because sometimes the hole is accidentaly made larger (hammer strike to wall etc), pipes or cables might be damaged and also the wall behind hangings takes on a different appearance over time so it is not just a case of filling a whole touched up with a spot of paint.

You run the risk that where you give an inch they take a mile. You can well imagine a post on this very forum "LANDLORD WITHHOLDING SOME DESPOIT DUE TO SAMLL HOLES LEFT IN WALLS - BUT HE CANT PROVE I MADE THEM".........

morg_monster

When we moved into our flat, the LL had lived there previously. It was in great nick and he left up picture hooks in the bedroom, hall, and lounge. At nice heights and sensible places. It's lovely having our photos up around the place and I definitely would have asked for permission to put some up if they hadn't already been there. This is especially true if you're expecting tenants to be there longer than a year - gets a bit sad with nothing on the walls!
If its a possibility, why not put up some hooks yourself and then ask the tenants not to put up any more. Or you could even ask them where they want them so you know they're in the right places.

Ultimately whatever you decide it's always down to the individuals involved how it all works out... I shouldn't think picture hooks would cause you too much hassle compared to how wrong some other things can go!

Slinky

As a landlord I put some nails into the walls for pictures after I'd redecorated a couple of rooms, the rest were left from when I lived in the house.

I never had any problem with people banging in nails; it was every single one of the 4 lots of tenants in 3 years all putting up satellite dishes without permission which got me. Ended up with loads of screw holes in the external brickwork and a messy hole for the cable. TBH I never thought to get any of the deposit witheld because of it.

jaxkesa

I wouldn't put any up without checking first. My inventory listed marks on walls where hooks had been taken out and painted over in the past - you could barely see them. My flat is completly bare as I daren't put a nail in and then be charged for removal + painting etc!