Being a renter means you sometimes need to get a little creative with your decor and organizing to ensure you don’t damage your rental space and risk losing your security deposit.
While it can seem like your options are limited, there are a lot of damage-free and creative solutions to ensure that your space is looking flawless, incredibly organized, all without upsetting your landlord or taking from your security deposit.
While nearly every renter is familiar with command strips–the removable damage free hanging devices–and their brand counterpart, knowing as many creative ways to utilize this product as possible is key to creating a stylish and organized rental. These tips for command hooks will have your rental looking fabulous in no time.
Hang Curtain Rods:
via Command
Landlords are required to offer a living space that is habitable, but unfortunately for renters, habitable doesn’t come with a decor scheme. Most landlords will opt for durability over style when picking any furnishings or included decor. This includes window coverings, which will more than likely be blinds. Adding real curtains can amp up your space’s style and charm, but think about your security deposit before you install anything permanent.
Instead, opt for a removable option with command hooks. Place upside-down hooks on each side of the top of your window to hold a curtain rod. You may find that the command hook will not be strong enough to hold a very thick fabric, but even sheer curtains can welcome light, provide added privacy, and contribute to an overall curated look.
Shower Caddy:
You might not be able to install the fancy rain shower head in your rental’s master bathroom, but you can prevent the shower caddy from constantly falling down while you’re shampooing. Use a command hook on the side of your shower or bath wall to find a convenient place to hang your shower necessities. Don’t forget to use a removable strip that is designed for the humidity of bathrooms or this hack will fall flat.
Bookshelf:
Don’t have the floor space for a massive bookshelf, but still want to display a small collection of books? Since installing floating shelves can break your lease, consider an easy-to-remove alternative; using command adhered picture ledges you can create an organized home for your favorite magazines and small books or create a whimsical display of children’s books.
Aside from eliminating damage to your rental, the best part about this option is that it’s easy to move should you decide you would like to rearrange anything as time passes. No need to get stuck in a design rut.
Create a Command Center:
Via Command
It’s surprisingly simple to create the perfect spot to sort your mail and organize your household, without creating clutter or damaging your walls. For parents and busy individuals, a command center is an ideal way to visually organize reminders, calendar events, and incoming flyers or cards.
Use removable strips to hang a corkboard, chalkboard, or whiteboard, and utilize removable adhesive hooks to hang small baskets or containers that serve as storage for writing utensils, cards, coupons and more. Create a more utilitarian layout for your office or hang objects with style in mind by adding small topiaries and colorful designs and put your command center on display in a hallway or living space.
Entryway Organization:
Your entryway is the first thing your guests will see when they walk through the door, it also can serve as a dumping zone for keys, wet coats, bags and even mail. While a heavy-duty installation of a coat rack and shelving units may not be allowed, you certainly have a range of options available to create a useful and visually appealing entryway.
Use a few adhesive strips to hold a small key hook board right by the door so you will always know where your keys are placed. Hang your coats and empty bags on hooks by the door–you can even purchase galvanized hooks that look like you installed their fancy metal counterparts. Finally, to truly add to the decor in your space, don’t forget to hang small photographs, paintings or mirrors; this can turn “the spot where you hang coats” into a beautiful entryway in no time.
Maintaining an organized space and a curating a great look in a rental has certainly has its obstacles, but a handful of creativity and a large handful of command hooks can go a long way toward making your rental your own during your tenancy. Afterall developing a space you love and keeping your landlord happy are the top ways to ensure smooth sailing during your time as a renter.
I would like to add one brilliant way to NOT use command strips! Do not assume that you can take off the command strip tape, replace it with heavy duty 3M (35lb tape), and think you can hang a 12lb mirror. Wont work! Broken mirror and everything directly below it – yikes!
Oh, no! It sounds like you know this from personal experience! Thanks for passing that info along; I hope there wasn’t too much damage. Hopefully it will prevent someone else’s mirror from suffering the same fate.
As a property manager, command strips do more wall damage than nails because they peel paint off. I would not recommend them on walls.
Hi Saffron,
If you are finding that command strips are causing property damage then it might be wise to advise tenants against them.
In my experience, the only time I have seen damage to paint was when the strip was not removed according to the package’s specifications. It certainly takes extra work for a tenant to prep the walls and remove them precisely as described, but–at least for me– they have provided some effective damage-free solutions when applied properly. Regardless, it can always be best practice to test the item in an inconspicuous area before copiously applying them across the space.