Can You Drill Holes in Apartment Walls?

In this article, I’ll teach you whether you can or cannot drill holes in apartment walls, the legalities, and landlord issues.

Depending on the apartment type and rental contract, you’ll have to follow different restrictions and rules.

You can generally drill small holes in your apartment wall as long as you repair them before moving out. Otherwise, you’ll end up paying for damaged walls. Or the landlord will take the cost of the damage from your security deposit.

Things You Should Know About Drilling Holes in Apartment Walls

There are different restrictions against drilling holes in apartment walls. For instance, some landlords ban drilling holes in the apartment walls, and some allow you to drill holes. However, you’ll have to repair the drilled holes before moving out of the apartment.

Quick Tip: Whether your contract allows it or not, it is always better if you inform the landlord before drilling holes.

What Happens If I Don’t Repair the Drilled Holes?

There are two outcomes for this type of situation. You can pay the cost of the repair. Or the landlord will deduct the cost of the damage from your security deposit.

I highly advise you not to risk a security deposit because the landlord might keep the entire security deposit as the cost of damage. The best way to avoid this is to repair the drilled holes yourself. You might think this is a tedious and challenging process, but it isn’t.

Things You Should Know About Apartment Security Deposits

A security deposit is a payment you make considering the rented apartment’s security. The landlord will deduct any amount from this security deposit if he detects any damages. Drilling holes in the apartment wall will risk your security deposit. However, if you repair those damages, you’ll get the security deposit when you move out of the apartment.

The amount of the security deposit will change from landlord to landlord. There is no fixed amount for this. Sometimes, the security deposit will be the sum of two or three months’ rent, and sometimes, the amount will be even more. Either way, if everything goes according to the plan, you should get the entire security deposit at the end of the rental contract (when you move out).

Quick Tip: Normal wear and tear won’t be an issue for the security deposit. However, the things that you do deliberately will affect the security deposit.

How Can I Fill Holes in the Apartment Walls?

There are a few methods to fill holes in apartment walls. Here I’m going to talk about the best and most common technique.

Using Sparkling Paste to Fill Holes

Applying the sparkling paste to the hole is one of the easiest ways to fix your apartment wall. This is a low-budget process, and using this putty is entirely harmless for walls. With that in mind, here are some simple steps for using sparkling paste.

Step 1 – Gather the Necessary Items

First, gather the following things.

• Sparkling paste
• Putty knife
• Sandpaper
• Paint

Step 2 – Use the Sandpaper

Then, start sanding the hole and its surrounding using sandpaper. A small piece of sandpaper will be enough for this process.

Step 3 – Apply the Putty

Next, take some sparkling paste and apply it to the hole. Apply the putty layer by layer and wait until the previous layer gets dry to apply the next layer. Remember to use the putty knife for this process.

Step 4 – Use the Sandpaper Again

Wait until the putty gets dry. Then, sand down the dried putty layers using sandpaper. This process will give your wall a clean and smooth finish.

Step 5 – Paint the Wall

Finally, paint the wall a suitable color for a spotless repair job.

Don’t Forget: Filling holes sure is a time-consuming process. But the final result will be satisfying for you and your landlord. (1)

Alternative Ways That You Can Try Instead of Drilling Holes?

In truth, drilling holes in your apartment wall should be a last resort. But most people ignore this and end up damaging the apartment walls. It shouldn’t have to end this way. So, here are a few alternative methods for putting holes in apartment walls.

Adhesives

A strong adhesive is one of the best methods to bypass the drilling holes process. These types of adhesives come in different forms. For instance, you can use a product such as No More Nails glue. Or you can take a completely different path and use adhesive strips or hooks.

For instance, adhesive hooks can support up to 7 pounds. Without a doubt, adhesive hooks and strips are the best way to hang a picture or painting on the apartment wall.

However, you’ll have to use a powerful adhesive such as No More Nails to hang a TV on the wall.

Monkey Hooks

Most people recognized these items as press-in hooks. These monkey hooks can hold up to 50 pounds of weight. There is no need for a power drill. Drive the hook into the apartment wall and rotate it until it is tightened.

Quick Tip: Installing a monkey hook to the wall will create a small hole in the wall. But this is nothing compared to holes created by nails and drill bits.

Use the Bookshelf

If you are looking for a way to hang a picture without implicating permanent damage to the wall, hang pictures and paintings on the bookshelf. It will increase the room’s decoration significantly.

Lean Items on Apartment Walls

This is also an excellent method to avoid holes in your apartment walls. Lean items on the wall. For instance, you can easily lean a painting on a wall. However, for this, you’ll need more floor space. (2)

FAQs

Take a look at some of our related articles below.

• How to drill a hole in plastic
• How to drill hole in stainless steel sink
• How to drill hole in ceramic pot

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References
(1) landlord – https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/
renting_a_home/landlords_rights_and_obligations.html
(2) apartment – https://www.britannica.com/technology/apartment-house

Video References

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