Do I need permission to decorate my rental property?

What makes a house a home? Pictures up on the wall? A fresh coat of paint throughout? Retiling the bathroom?

While owners have free reign to personalise their home, it’s slightly different if you live in a rental property. Tenants have varying degrees of decorating permissions, depending on where they live in Great Britain. 

While one tenant can put up a poster without asking their landlord’s permission, another will need written consent. To avoid any confusion - and so tenants don’t breach their contract - here’s our guide to geographical decorating differences.

It’s a case-by-case situation in England

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 didn’t include any reform on decorating a rental property. As such, there is no blanket legislation when it comes to personalising a rental property. 

Instead, tenants in England must read their tenancy agreement for any specific clauses that prohibit change. It’s not uncommon for landlords to implicitly say the use of Blu Tack, nails and even Command strips is banned. 

Tenants must ask their landlord’s permission before they make cosmetic or permanent changes, such as repainting or drilling holes in the wall, but there is encouraging news. 

A 2025 survey revealed landlords are open to personalisation. The study, by the OSB Group, found 73% of landlords welcome tenant customisation and 34% actively collaborate with tenants on decorating plans.

Stronger personalisation rights on their way in Scotland

At present, most Private Residential Tenancy agreements in Scotland require the tenant to seek approval from their landlord before they undertake works, such as repainting or hanging heavy items. Change, however, is imminent. 

The Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 has a specific section on personalising a rental property and tenants will gain greater rights to decorate. This reform needs secondary legislation, which is currently underway, although there is no current implementation date.

When the reform is live, Scottish tenants will be able to make minor ‘category 1’ changes, such as putting up posters or pictures, without a landlord’s consent. 

A second tier of ‘category 2’ changes apply to tenants once they have lived in the rental property for six months. They’ll be able to request to make larger changes, such as painting walls or putting up shelves, and a landlord won’t be able to unreasonably refuse the request.

The final regulations will list the specific changes within each category. 

Landlords must have a valid reason to refuse in Wales

The ‘not unreasonably refuse’ clause also applies in Wales. Tenants who want to decorate a property can make a request to their landlord and the landlord must have a good reason to turn it down. 

The Welsh Government’s Code of Practice for Landlords and Agents suggests a personalisation compromise might be reached, with the tenant agreeing to return any decorated areas back to their original state at the end of the tenancy.

Decorating and your deposit

Knowing your decorating rights as a tenant is critical to getting your deposit back in full. One particular stat should convince you to stop and think before getting the drill out. Almost a third of deposit claims handled by the Tenancy Deposit Scheme are because of unauthorised redecoration. 

We’re here to help you understand what is and isn’t allowed in your rental property, and we can handle any personalisation or decorating requests on your behalf. Get in touch if you’d like more advice.