Japonica

When we rented, our lease stipulated no command hooks, no blue tack allowed, nothing.

Then looking at the cheap paint in the rental, it was no big mystery why. Even blue tack would have pulled the paint right off the wall. Washing the wall would make it flake off.

jothefw

Annual - wow! Try every three months for us.

I was going to say that too. We're in a massive rental community and everyone uses Command strips with varying results. If the rental has cheap paint, even Command strips won't stick. Could be a rude wake up to have all the pictures fall down in the middle of the night!

Our rental was brand new when we moved in. I asked if pictures allowed and agent said one picture per room which seems fair enough. We haven't even done that as we have got used the more minimal look!

spouse of scouse

I don't think it's a case of people letting themselves being 'treated like doormats' - it's a matter of honoring a contract you've signed - if you don't agree with the conditions of a contract, don't sign it.

Not all landlords do the right thing by their tenants, no matter how good the tenants are or how much rent they pay. In fact, some are outright bastards and will pick you up for the smallest thing. Bits of paint off throughout the house could quite conceivably lead to the landlord saying the house needed an entire repaint - no original paint left to colour match etc.

Brian, save yourself a lot of potential hassle and seek permission in writing as suggested.

sonlymewalter

spot on. the RE Agent we had was poached and decided to go to a competitor. The owner then turned on us because we had a great relationship with him before he left. The stupid RE owner took it out on us that he'd left. She got so shitty it was unbelievable. We reminded her one day we would be buyers and we'd not give her our business. Cut a long story short she picked fault with all sorts of stuff including items that were lodged when we took over, basically to keep our bond. We took it to the rental tribunal and they found in our favour and gave us a full refund. We found out years later she'd got a reputation for trying to keep bond money to pay for re-painting and updates before the next let....

Yep - not all rental agents are professional regardless as to how good you are as a renter.

brian.w

then maybe i should contact the agent and ask they can say yes or no,do they contact owners then to ask if allowed or do agents say yes or no?
Maybe me asking they make up something end of lease to say i had when really i never bothered.just be nice to have some stuff up on wall.
I noticed even there is paint in the house,left over by last tenants or by owners,if thats the same colour then why not do it?
But as you say the agent might come in and find them on the wall or means we have to remove.

irishbloo

Ask the agent.They then will ask the landlord.Look after your rental and keep it clean.If you get permission get it in writing.We asked permission to paint inside a wardrobe.We left the house looking cleaner and better than we moved in.Be careful about leaning large mirrors against a wall with a young child.You might find that they are some hooks up already.

teza

The agent WILL come in as they WILL do rental inspections (usually every 3 mths, first one being 6 wks after moving in in WA)

jackieh23

Your contract will stipulate what you can and can't do. If there is nothing specific - ASK - IN WRITING and ensure you receive their response IN WRITING.

FWIW - the house we are currently renting - I asked about pictures on the walls and using 3M strips and they said they would rather have small hooks due to the plaster being old and the tape pulled a lot off when previous tenant used them.

Our previous home (our own) we used 3M strips and the heat in summer made 2 give way and a large expensive picture fell off - luckily only a small chip on the frame but a large chunk of plaster went, too.

If you get a breach from a Property Agent, it will be hard for you to rent in the future. Cover your butt...

brian.w

ok no worries maybe i just leave the stuff off wall until we own then,i may need to look at our contract again but was wondering what about a large trampoline is this something that maybe not allowed

Zen10

Until you get a note telling you to get out at the end of the next tenancy agreement. I happen to agree with your attitude 100% though, and we did the same - we put up pictures all over the place. When we leave the place will be left in the condition it was when we arrived, so no problem. I agree people let themselves get treated like doormats in these situations.

Pollyana

Its not a question of being a doormat, its a question of ensuring you don't break the lease. I'm all in favour of putting up pictures etc, but if the lease says no, its common sense surely to check first before going ahead?

Be interested to hear from some of the people on here who are landlords, as to what they would think if they found their tenant had made holes in all the walls, and put up a satellite dish, without even asking? I see it as no different to keeping pets when the lease says no, its polite and common sense to ask first!

Pollyana

Inside the house? Make sure you don't bounce through the ceiling

Zen10

I agree you shouldn't break the lease, but there's degrees of transgressions here. Filling half a dozen 2 mill holes and putting touch up paint over them isn't going to cause any problems, and you won't feel like you're living inside a box.

Japonica

We've had this happen before as well. Not expensive thankfully, just something in a cheap IKEA 8x10 frame. I swear the adhesive is just not up to Aussie climates. 3M hooks are okay for calendars and something fairly light, but I'd never hang anything larger than a 5x7 with them (and that would have to be an almost weightless frame).

Chortlepuss

In my experience of renting in QLD agents will take every opportunity to take money from your bond. Our walls have not been painted in 20 years, the house is in poor repair, we have done a lot of work to the property replacing broken fly screens, even installing a door to the living room as there wasn't one. Despite all this, I'll be amazed if they don't try to screw us over, it's pretty typical behaviour. I rent a house in UK and my tenants ask permission which is the right thing to do. Mind u my house in UK has been refurbished to a v high standard. Just wish I could rent something that good in Brisbane.