Renting: putting things up without losing your deposit

What do landlords claim from deposits for?

Cleaning and damage come first in TDS's own figures. In its Statistical Briefing for 2024-25, cleaning was claimed in 54% of its TDS Insured dispute cases, damage in 49% and redecoration in 31%.

These shares are for TDS Insured cases only, not for the other deposit schemes. TDS gives these figures for issues arising in TDS Insured dispute cases, and its footnote reads *Percentage of cases where claims arise, so one case can count under more than one heading.

Across all schemes, TDS's briefing gives 4,706,470 deposits protected in England and Wales at March 2025, with an average deposit of £1,175, both from FOI data.

Source: TDS Group, Statistical Briefing 2024/25. Checked 12 Oct 2026.

Do you need your landlord's permission to put things up?

It depends on where you live and on your tenancy agreement. This page covers England, with Wales and Scotland named where their rules differ; it does not cover Northern Ireland. What each source says, in its own words:

• England: Shelter, the housing charity, says Do not make improvements without your landlord's permission. Get your landlord's agreement in writing before you start. Its deposit advice says a landlord could keep some money if you redecorate or make significant changes without your landlord's consent.
• Council or housing association tenants in England: Shelter says You do not usually need your landlord's permission to decorate your home. You might have to pay for the materials. It adds: Always check what your tenancy agreement says about improvements. You might need permission for smaller changes too.
• Wales: under the default terms of a standard occupation contract, The contract-holder must not make any alteration to the dwelling without the consent of the landlord. For that rule, an alteration includes any addition to or alteration of the fixtures and fittings in the dwelling. The explanatory note says which contracts these terms cover: Regulations in Part 6 set out supplementary provisions applying only to standard contracts other than introductory standard contracts, prohibited conduct standard contracts and supported standard contracts.
• Scotland: a new right is not in force. The Scottish Government says: The Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 gives private tenants greater rights to personalise and decorate their home, after living there for 6 months. A date for this change coming into force has not been set yet. Further secondary legislation is required.

In Wales the default terms can be changed when the contract is made. The explanatory note says: The default position is that supplementary provisions are incorporated as supplementary terms of an occupation contract. However, at the creation of the occupation contract, the parties may agree that a supplementary provision is modified or that it is not included in the occupation contract. So check your own contract.

In Scotland, gov.scot describes the two kinds of change the new right will allow once it starts: Category 1: minor changes tenants can make without the landlord's consent, such as putting up posters or pictures, and Category 2: larger changes tenants can request, which cannot be unreasonably refused, such as painting walls or putting up shelves. It ties the wait to the second kind: For Category 2 changes, tenants must have lived in the let property for 6 months. It adds: The specific changes that fall under each category will be set out in regulations following further consultation. Until a date is set, neither category is a right you can rely on.

Sources: Shelter England, Making improvements to your rented home (last updated 1 May 2026). Checked 12 Oct 2026; Shelter England, Cleaning, gardening or decorating (deposit deductions, last updated 6 May 2024). Checked 12 Oct 2026; legislation.gov.uk, Renting Homes (Supplementary Provisions) (Wales) Regulations 2022, regulation 29. Checked 12 to 13 Oct 2026; legislation.gov.uk, Renting Homes (Supplementary Provisions) (Wales) Regulations 2022, explanatory note. Checked 12 to 13 Oct 2026; Scottish Government, Private renting: tenant rights and protections. Checked 12 Oct 2026.

Can a landlord charge for holes in the wall?

In England, yes, if you caused or allowed the damage. Shelter says Your landlord can keep money from your deposit if you cause or allow damage in your home. This includes accidental damage. Its list of things you could be charged for includes holes in walls or doors.

Shelter also says Your landlord cannot keep any of your deposit for fair wear and tear even if they redecorate. But a landlord could keep some money if you redecorate or make significant changes without your landlord's consent. If you decorated or made changes without consent, Shelter's advice is: Put the property back how it was when you moved in to avoid deposit deductions.

Sources: Shelter England, Damage and missing items (deposit deductions, last updated 6 May 2024). Checked 12 Oct 2026; Shelter England, Cleaning, gardening or decorating (deposit deductions, last updated 6 May 2024). Checked 12 Oct 2026.

How do you show the walls were like that when you moved in?

With the inventory and your own photos. Shelter's advice for England:

• Your landlord or agent should have made an inventory with you when your tenancy started. The inventory should record the age of items, their condition and how clean they were.
• If you have photos or videos from when you moved in, they could show what the property looked like and if there have been changes.
• The schemes prefer digital photos because they can check the dates and they are often clearer.

In Wales, the note to the default terms says Regulation 27 requires the landlord to provide an inventory to the contract-holder, within a specified timescale.

Sources: Shelter England, How to get your deposit back (last updated 1 May 2026). Checked 13 Oct 2026; Shelter England, Evidence for a deposit dispute (last updated 1 May 2026). Checked 13 Oct 2026; legislation.gov.uk, Renting Homes (Supplementary Provisions) (Wales) Regulations 2022, explanatory note. Checked 13 Oct 2026.

How do you take things down when you move out?

Use the maker's own removal steps. tesa's, for anything on its waterproof strips, are with the drawing.

For a tesa towel bar glued on its Power.Kit adapter: First unscrew the bath design from the adapter. Now grip the adapter ring with a pipe wrench and slowly twist it carefully clockwise from the wall. If adhesive residue sticks to the surface, you can gently scrape it off with a thin spatula or scraper. tesa gives its other glued fittings their own steps. Our pages for hooks, towel rails and shower caddies give tesa's removal steps for the stick-on products on them, starting with hooks and coat racks.

Shelter's advice for the day you leave: Make a video on the day you move out. A video could show the exact condition you left the property in. Compare your inventory from when you moved in with the check out report.

Sources: tesa, Towel Bar without drilling for gluing. Checked 13 Oct 2026; Shelter England, Evidence for a deposit dispute (last updated 1 May 2026). Checked 13 Oct 2026.