Guide
Can you use Command strips in a rented flat? (UK)
Will adhesive strips cost you your deposit? What to check in your tenancy, how to put strips up and take them down without peeling paint, and what to do if it goes wrong.
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Short answer: usually yes – but they're not risk-free. Adhesive strips like Command often come off cleanly, yet they can take paint with them, and many letting agents treat that as damage rather than wear and tear. Check your tenancy agreement, ask your landlord or agent by email, follow the instructions to the letter, and take them down properly before you move out.
Check your tenancy agreement first
Look for clauses about fixing things to walls, putting up pictures, using adhesives or "Blu-tack", or making alterations. Some agreements ban any fixings; others say nothing at all.
- If it's banned: don't. Use the no-adhesive ideas further down.
- If it's not mentioned: ask anyway. A short email – "Are you happy for me to use removable adhesive strips to hang a few light pictures?" – gives you a dated record of the answer.
- If they say yes: keep the email. It won't cover damage, but it shows you asked.
Not every agent is relaxed about it. One UK letting agent, CPS Homes, says Command strips "aren't always as damage-free as they claim to be" and advises tenants not to stick anything to walls unless the contract allows it.
Why strips sometimes take the paint off
The adhesive holds on to the paint. If the paint isn't holding on to the wall as strongly, the paint comes off with the strip. 3M's own UK FAQ points to the common causes:
- Fresh paint. Wait at least 7 days after painting, and the paint should be fully cured. Freshly decorated rentals are the riskiest.
- Wallpaper. 3M says not to use Command products on delicate or paper wallpaper – the strip is only as strong as the wallpaper's bond to the wall.
- The wrong surface. Brick isn't suitable, and the surface must be dry and free from dust or grease.
- Too much weight. Stick to the weight limit on the pack. 3M doesn't recommend using several hooks to share a heavier item.
Cold outside walls that get condensation are another worry: damp paint and adhesive don't mix. If your walls are often wet in winter, see condensation and damp in a rented home – that's a problem to raise with your landlord anyway.
How to put them up so they come off cleanly
- Test first. Stick one strip somewhere hidden – behind a wardrobe or the sofa – leave it a week or two, then remove it properly and check the paint.
- Clean the spot. 3M says to clean with isopropyl rubbing alcohol or methylated spirits rather than household cleaners, and let it dry.
- Press firmly, then wait one hour before hanging anything, so the adhesive can bond (3M).
- Stay well under the weight limit and use the right product for the job – picture-hanging strips for frames, hooks for keys or towels.
Picture-hanging strips
Interlocking strips for light frames and canvases. Check the weight rating on the pack against your frame, including the glass.
Small adhesive hooks
For keys, tea towels, a dressing gown on the back of a door, or fairy lights. Light items only.
Isopropyl alcohol wipes
A quick way to clean the spot before you stick, as 3M recommends, without soaking the wall.
How to remove Command strips without damaging paint
This is where most damage happens. 3M's instruction is to pull the tab straight down, slowly – stretching it along the wall rather than pulling it towards you. Keep stretching until the strip lets go on its own. Never prise the hook or frame off the wall.
If the tab snaps or the strip won't stretch, 3M's UK FAQ says to warm the base with a hairdryer to soften the adhesive, then gently cut through the foam with dental floss to free the hook. Peel or roll off what's left slowly, warming it again if it resists.
A compact hairdryer
Warm, not hot, for 20–30 seconds is usually enough to soften old adhesive. Handy if you don't own one already.
Unwaxed dental floss
Slides behind a stuck hook and saws through the foam without touching the paint.
If paint comes off
Don't panic and don't scrape at it. Photograph it, then tell your landlord or agent – Shelter's advice is to tell your landlord about accidental damage and only repair it with their agreement, using your inventory to record the fix. Touching up with the wrong paint can look worse than a small mark.
At the end of the tenancy, your deposit should be protected in a government-approved scheme. Shelter says deductions must be reasonable and relate to money the landlord has lost, and that landlords can't deduct for fair wear and tear – but it's damage beyond normal use that you're responsible for, and the two sides often disagree about which is which. If you can't agree, GOV.UK explains that each scheme offers a free dispute resolution service; both sides must agree to use it, and the decision is final. See GOV.UK on tenancy deposit protection and Shelter on deposit deductions.
Ways to hang things with no adhesive at all
The safest option for your deposit is not to stick anything to the walls. These get the same look with nothing to remove. For more, see our no-drill storage ideas for UK rentals and small living room ideas for renters.
Lean art and mirrors
A big frame or floor mirror leant against the wall looks deliberate, and a felt pad underneath protects the floor. Layer two or three frames on a sideboard for a gallery look.
Picture ledges stood on furniture
A long, narrow picture ledge stood on a sideboard or chest of drawers holds a row of frames with no fixings.
Over-door hooks
Coats, bags and towels on the back of a door, with no fixings at all. Check the hook depth fits your door.
A freestanding coat stand or easel
A coat stand takes the hallway pile; a tabletop or floor easel shows off a favourite print and moves with you.
Tension rods
Spring-loaded rods wedge inside an alcove or window recess for curtains, plants or a mini hanging rail, then come out leaving no mark.
FAQ
Will Command strips affect my deposit?
Only if they leave a mark. If they come off cleanly, there's nothing to deduct. If they lift paint, many agents treat it as damage. Ask first, follow the instructions, and remove them carefully well before check-out.
Can you use Command strips on wallpaper?
3M says not on delicate or paper wallpaper, because the strip can pull the paper away from the wall. In a wallpapered rental, use the no-adhesive options above.
What if a Command strip pulls off paint?
Stop, photograph it and tell your landlord or agent. Only touch it up with their agreement and matching paint. If it ends up in a deposit dispute, the scheme's free dispute service can decide.
How long should I wait after painting?
3M's UK FAQ says at least 7 days, and the paint should be fully cured.
Sources
- 3M Command UK – how to use and remove
- 3M Command UK – Frequently asked questions
- GOV.UK – Tenancy deposit protection: disputes and problems
- Shelter England – What can your landlord deduct from your deposit
- Shelter England – Damage or wear and tear
- CPS Homes – Avoiding charges for Blu-tack, strips and fairy lights (a letting agent's view)