Hanging decorations or window coverings

You don't need permission from your landlord to hang decorations like pictures on your walls or to put up window coverings like curtains. You can also put up shelves or install a wall-mounted television. It's probably unreasonable for your landlord to have rules about these kinds of decorative changes. For example, it would be unreasonable for your landlord to say you can't put any nails in the walls to hang pictures.

But you should ask your landlord for permission before you make any major changes to your rental unit. For example, removing wallpaper or carpets.

Damage caused by decorations

The law says that holes or marks made because of decorations are usually not damage. They're considered normal “wear and tear” from living in a home. This means that your landlord usually can't evict you if there are holes or marks from screws or nails. And you usually won't need to pay your landlord money to repair them.

But if the holes or marks are unreasonable, your landlord might be able to evict you, have you pay for repairs, or both. For example, you might cause unreasonable damage to the wall if you install your television incorrectly.

It's a good idea to take pictures to show that your decorations did not cause unreasonable damage. Take a picture of where you want to put the decoration just before you put it up. Then, take pictures of all the places you hung decorations before you move out. Keep the pictures in a safe place for at least one year after you move.