Avoiding charges for Blu Tack marks or damage to your walls
As you start making your new place feel like home, it might be tempting to use Blu Tack, stickers or even nails to hang things up. Unfortunately, they can all leave marks or cause damage which is likely to lead to deductions from your deposit at the end of your tenancy. Command strips aren’t always as damage-free as they claim to be, either! So, unless it's already agreed in your contract, we recommend avoiding making any changes or adding anything to the walls.
When you come to remove Blu Tack or stickers, it can peel away paint or leave a stubborn residue that is challenging to remove. As the use of these items isn't classed as wear and tear, your landlord is within their right to claim for the cost of restoring the wall to how it was when you moved in. When you factor in things like matching and buying paint, moving furniture, priming walls and returning furniture, it's a much bigger job than you might imagine, and thus may cost a lot more than you'd imagine.
Should I use command strips instead?
We understand that you may want to hang things on the walls, and there are products like Washi tape or command strips that claim to leave no marks. However, in our experience, these can sometimes still leave marks behind. As an agency that manages thousands of properties every year, we have seen so many disputes relating to marks left on walls that we strongly suggest not sticking anything to your walls if you want to avoid being charged.
If you've already started sticking things to your walls, it's best to remove them ASAP. See below for our guidance:
There are plenty of ways to personalise your space without sticking things to walls or drilling holes. Here are a few of our favourite damage-free decorating tips!