brian.w

Im finally moving into my rental after as container has cleared customs and due to deliver next week,yahooo.

My questions is on my rental lease it says not to hang stuff on walls using pretty much anything you can think of,is this the norm with having a rental,did you guys who have rented hang anything up or leave the walls blank.
Is there things out there im sure i have seen stuff by i think a company called 3m that says leave no marks on walls are they any good.
I have a lot of nice mirrors,canvass prints of our baby girl etc etc i would love to make it more homely and not have them all stored away,whats your thoughts on renting and hanging frames etc etc on walls.

Pollyana

Don't do it unless you get it in writing from the agent to say you can!

It's pretty much the norm, a drawback of renting decent places here.

lapin_windstar

They're very good. I'm used a ton of them and in most cases they didn't leave a mark. In a couple of cases they removed a flake of paint when I removed them.

For myself, I'd happily take the small risk of paint flake problems. The problem might be if they did annual inspections - it would be a bit of a hassle taking everything down and putting it up again. It depends how much you want the stuff up and how long you're going to be there.

Bermudashorts

Yes we use those sticky picture hanging things, no idea what they are called but I know what you mean. A far as I am concerned, if I am living there, it is my home and I will put things on the wall if I so choose.

Pollyana

Any marks on the walls can lead to loss of part of the bond, thats the only thing.

Mummy3

We were lucky, our owners had a lot of hooks up, but friends who rented a brand new place had written agreement they would repaint any marks left by those sticky things. Worth a try?

carolinephillips

It is the norm not to be allowed to hang things on the walls. Use the Command hanging strips - they are pretty good, although I'd be wary of hanging a whacking great mirror. Why not get an easel or lean it against the wall if it is big enough?

Mike at Taree

Extreme situation but I bought a renter in Maryborough as our own home about 35 years ago, it had been rented by numerous tenants and it took me a week to fill in all the holes left by hangings, before doing a complete paint job.

However current rental where we are living, we can do one nail per wall (and it's a nice place, fairly newish) but they draw the line at "my 100 favourite sporting heroes" on one wall. So it varies from place to place.

I'd check with the Agents re the "Command System," from Bunnings, hangers.

teza

Do remember that if your lease says no hanging anything on walls without permission, and you do so, questions may be asked during rental inspections and they may issue breach notice...

paddyo

If in doubt ask via email, that way you will have a written response as 'proof'.

Bermudashorts

I am sure that a $5k bond won't be lost over a small mark on the wall which can be easily touched up. Been there 3 years now and I am not going to live with no personal effects for four years just to save a $100.

Pollyana

Fair enough, and of course you wouldn't lose the whole bond!
However, Brian, the OP, is not used to renting properties, he is used to owning, and as you can see from other replies I feel its only fair to warn him that there MIGHT be consequences, especially if he doesn't check with the agents.

Bermudashorts

I fitted a satellite dish without permission.

Honestly, I think people worry too much and let themselves be treated like doormats. My landlord gets paid on time without fail and the house is in pristine condition, they are over the moon with us as tenants and have not put the rent up for three years because of our, their words, "outstanding tenancy". I am a good tenant, I pay a lot of rent and I am going to treat the house as my home, which it is.

Pollyana

We have had several posters over the years reporting problems with agents and landlords doing what i call "nit-picking"over small bits of damage. I personally know people (not on the site) who have been penalised for marks on the walls. One rental I lived in was cleaned by company who specialise in cleaning rentals to get bonds returned - she was called back because the agent's complained of dust on top of a curtain pelmet, and because the ancient lightshades (circa 1960!) had not been taken down and cleaned.

You obviously have a good situation, a browse through threads on rentals and bonds will reveal that not everyone is so lucky.

Try this thread for starters
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=785494

sonlymewalter

Correct. I lost part of a bond for a few poxy nails in wall when we first came to Aus as I didn't think it was a big deal. Our RE agent was a conman and used this as an excuse to get back some bond which we found out later is a tactic used by some of them.

Better to warn folk just in case