Though you are living in an apartment for rent, you may wish to make it beautiful and versatile for certain purposes which encourage you to drill holes. But can you drill holes in apartment walls? Yes, it is allowed for you or will it cause an embarrassing situation. Let’s hack the possible results.
You mightn’t live in an apartment for life, you may want to decorate the wall hanging or mount items for decoration or necessities. But before placing a drill in the wall, you should be aware of the possible situation. In case if you aren’t allowed, it will put you in an awkward situation and may cost a penny to repair. So, let’s learn it first!
How to drill holes in apartment walls
You can create a small hole in the apartment wall only if you fix it before change the house. Otherwise, you have to pay the repair cost and even you can lose the security deposits. However, every rent is different, thus you should read the rental contract carefully before taking a power drill and drill bits in your hand.
In most cases, the landlord won’t allow drilling a hole in his apartment and the list also includes the repair cost against the possible damage you will do. The landlord won’t accept the damage to the apartment but also can’t charge extra money than the actual repair cost.
So, if you drill holes in the apartment, it will cost you according to the contract, even if the landlord spends a lot extra due to hiring a contractor. Lastly, it would be better if you talked to your landlord before drilling a hole in an apartment and got back the deposit by only paying the actual repair cost.
A few Reasons to Drill holes in Apartment Walls
There are a number of reasons to drill holes in apartment walls. To hand something or mounting anything can be possible reasons. Details discussed in the below points.
To hang picture frames
Hanging pictures or painting or other décor is the most common reason that encourages the drilling of holes in the apartment wall. It’s a legitimate reason, as decorating a wall by hanging something highlights the personality and the room’s decoration.
The typical way to hang something is to insert nails into the apartment wall, resulting in a drill hole into the wall. However, it’s not essential to insert nails into the wall for hanging something, especially for lightweight things. If the picture isn’t big or the frame isn’t heavy, you can use adhesive fasteners like command strips to complete the job without drilling through the apartment wall.
These adhesives are highly effective and you can even hang a 2×3 foot whiteboard. While buying the Command Strips, make sure you are choosing the right size for a certain purpose as these vary considering the picture weight.
To Mount a TV
Currently, mounting a high-definition TV onto the wall has become a trend and is also boosting the living room décor. Other benefits are that it saves both the living room space and the extra money that may be needed to spend on a TV stand. But the problem is, TVs are too heavy for fastener adhesive and you need to drill holes into the apartment wall to mount them securely.
The most effective way is to drill into stud’s in-wall and insert the mounting kit, which requires a minimum of four holes to be drilled through. Thus, you can properly mount the TV onto the wall of the living space securely. But if you have rented the house, make sure you have gotten written permission from the landowner before creating holes in the apartment walls.
For New Window Curtains / Blinds
Many apartments feature the basic window blinds provided by the landlord. Though it offers the residents the required privacy, it isn’t a space-saving design. Thus, some renters want to hand in new blinds, which encourage them to drill through drywall of the apartment wall.
Though it will surely spruce up rooms and ensure extra privacy, it still needs to drill holes into the window trim, which is also pretty hard. It’s a challenging task as you have to keep brackets on both sides level while drilling into studs. It requires around three to seven holes into the wall and it’s a large project.
Way to Repair existing Holes in Apartment Walls
Drilling holes can weaken the security system of the apartment, which a landlord won’t accept, especially if it’s not in contact. So, if you have already drilled and charged the penalty, you can handle the task conveniently. Without paying the penalty to the landlord or other handyman, you can repair the hole in a pretty straightforward way.
Equipment required:
- Sandpaper
- Putty knife
- Spackling paste
- Paint
Start with sanding the hole and its surrounding area and fill some spackling paste into the hole using a putty knife. If it is a large hole, apply several layers of spackling and make the previous layer dry before putting a new one. After covering the wall with a spackle, sand down the area once again to leave a smooth and nice finish. You can also paint the area for spotless repair. Filing the holes is a time-consuming process, and executes it slowly for better results.
Things to do instead of Drilling Holes into Apartment Walls
Creating holes in apartment walls can be a popular way to hand or mount something, but there are also some affordable and easier alternatives:
Monkey hooks
Also known as press-in hooks; applying Monkey Hooks is a great way to hang something on drywall. It’s an easier and super quick process and supports up to 50 pounds. The process doesn’t require any power drill, all your job is to drive the hook into the apartment wall and rotate it until secure. Even after removing the press-in hook, you will only have a little hole that won’t weaken the wall.
Adhesive Strips
If you want to hang a picture or mirror on the wall without drilling a hole, an adhesive strip will be the best way to do so. To do so, fix one side of the adhesive to the frame and the other to the wall. Then press the frame firmly but carefully until it is attached securely. You will have a secure installation and this adhesive strip can support up to 11 pounds.
But make sure the apartment wall where you want to hang something has a smooth and flat surface for proper sticking. Some paint may come off after removing the adhesive. Possibly, re-painting is better than weakening the apartment wall!
Adhesive Hooks
Likewise, adhesive strips, adhesive hooks are also pretty easy ways to hang things on the apartment wall. These can hold up to 7 pounds and are suitable for hanging frames. It also needs a smooth wall for secure installation and strips of paint during removal.
Hang on a Bookshelf
A bookshelf is a handy solution to hang pictures and frames without damaging the wall. Even bookshelves are stylish and can increase any room decoration elegantly.
Lean on the apartment Wall
Leaning items, pieces, and even mirrors are also a great alternative to drilling holes, but they need large floor space. Leaning large and weighty items increases the home’s decoration, but they need to be secured properly so they don’t fall over.
To break the items or hurt somebody while leaning against the wall, you should pick a room with traffic and put rubber under them. Doing so will prevent its bottom from rolling away from the apartment wall.
Apply an Easel
If you have enough space, you can try this easel process to hang the picture on the wall as an alternative to drilling holes.
FAQs on Can you drill holes in apartment walls
Is it allowed to drill a wall in a rental?
In general, the rental contract should have listed your dos and don’ts for decorating the apartment. However, most of the rental agreements include you can’t paint, removing the kitchen cabinet, and drilling holes in the wall. Still, if you need to drill holes, get written permission from the landlord.
Can I drill into the apartment ceiling?
As an apartment rental, drilling in a ceiling will be a far worse thing you will do. Even it’s a larger crime than drilling a hole into the wall. So don’t ever think of drilling the ceiling of the apartment if you take it on rent.
Where you can’t drill a hole into the wall?
You should avoid drilling near the electric outlet and light socket. The wiring system of the wall content is vertically and horizontally neat. These outlets and drilling can cause electrocution. Regardless, you cannot drill near an electric pipe or hookups because this can cause flooding.
Final words
So, can you drill holes in the apartment? Possibly not, but it’s ok for small holes in some cases. To handle the difficulties most conveniently, rent an apartment with a security deposit and include the repair and drilling tasks in this contract.
Thus, in case if you need to drill a hole for hanging or mounting items, you won’t have to pay for it, the landlord will do it for you. Despite keeping those alternatives in mind, it is possible to achieve the desired results without using a power drill.
