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Your Rights
Can I Decorate My Rental Property?
Your rights to personalize your home, what needs permission, and getting your deposit back.
6 min read readLast updated: 1 March 2024
Most tenancy agreements restrict decorating without permission, but this is negotiable and reasonable personalisation should be allowed.
What Usually Needs Permission
- Painting walls different colours
- Wallpapering
- Major fixtures (shelving, curtain poles)
- Any permanent alterations
What's Usually Allowed
Most landlords allow:
- Pictures hung on picture hooks (not nails)
- Removable adhesive hooks
- Furniture rearrangement
- Rugs and soft furnishings
- Plants
Always photograph how things were before you make any changes, so you can restore them when you leave.
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