Renting? How to get blinds without losing your deposit

Plenty of rented homes come with bare windows, broken blinds or a single sagging curtain pole. Getting proper blinds is possible without putting your deposit at risk, as long as you do it in the right order.

This guide is general information for tenants in England, not legal advice. For your own situation, speak to your landlord, your deposit scheme or an adviser.

Can tenants put up blinds in a rented home?

Tenants can put up blinds in a rented home in most cases, but they should get the landlord’s permission first, ideally in writing. Fitting blinds normally means drilling into walls, frames or ceilings, which counts as an alteration. Most landlords agree, because blinds make a property easier to let, but assuming permission risks a deposit deduction.

Housing charity Shelter’s advice on making improvements to your rented home is clear: do not make improvements without your landlord’s permission, and get their agreement in writing before you start. A landlord who did not agree could ask you to put things back or make a claim against your deposit.

In practice, blinds are one of the easiest things to get a yes for. They protect the landlord’s flooring and furniture from sun damage, they help with privacy and warmth, and a good roller blind is something the next tenant will want too.

What does your tenancy agreement say about blinds and alterations?

Your tenancy agreement usually covers alterations, fixtures and decoration in a clause about what you can and cannot change. Look for words such as “alterations”, “additions”, “fixtures”, “fittings” and “decorate”. Many agreements say you need the landlord’s written consent, and some say consent should not be unreasonably withheld.

Read the whole agreement, not just the section you expect. Clauses that matter for blinds can appear in several places:

• Alterations: whether you can drill, screw or fix anything to the walls or windows.
• Fixtures and fittings: whether items fixed to the property become the landlord’s when you leave.
• End of tenancy: whether you must return the property to its original condition, including filling holes.
• Inventory: what window coverings are listed, and in what condition.

If you rent a flat in a block, the building may also have rules through the landlord’s own lease, for example about what can be seen from outside or fixed to window frames. Your landlord or letting agent will know if that applies.

How do you ask your landlord for permission to fit blinds?

Asking your landlord for permission to fit blinds works best by email or message, so you have a written record. Say which rooms and windows, what type of blind, how it will be fixed, who will fit it, and what happens when you leave. A specific request is much easier to approve than a vague one.

1. List the windows you want to cover, for example “main bedroom and living room”.
2. Say what you plan to fit: made-to-measure roller blinds in a neutral colour.
3. Explain the fixing: small brackets screwed into the top of the recess or the wall above.
4. Say who will fit them: yourself or a professional fitter.
5. Propose what happens at the end: leave the blinds in place, or remove them and fill the holes.
6. Ask whether they would like to pay for or share the cost, as the blinds benefit the property.
7. Save the reply with your tenancy paperwork.

If you rent through a letting agent, send the request to the agent and ask them to confirm the landlord’s answer in writing. A verbal “that’s fine” from someone at a viewing is not much help at check-out months or years later.

Could fitting blinds affect your deposit?

Fitting blinds can affect your deposit only if the landlord says the work caused damage or broke the tenancy agreement. With written permission and clear photos, that risk is low. In England, deposits on most private tenancies must be held in a government-approved protection scheme, which can help resolve disputes about deductions.

According to GOV.UK’s tenancy deposit protection guidance, your landlord or letting agent must put your deposit in a scheme within 30 days of getting it. The approved schemes are the Deposit Protection Service, MyDeposits and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme. Once you and the landlord agree how much you will get back, the deposit must be returned within 10 days.

If you cannot agree about a deduction, the deposit stays protected in the scheme until the dispute is sorted out. The scheme’s adjudicator looks at the evidence, and that is where your written permission and your photos matter most.

Evidence to keep

• The landlord’s written permission, including anything agreed about the end of the tenancy.
• Photos of each window before the blinds went up.
• Photos after fitting, showing neat brackets and no damage.
• The check-in inventory, with any existing marks or holes noted.

Are screw holes from blinds fair wear and tear?

Screw holes from blinds are not automatically fair wear and tear, because fair wear and tear usually means deterioration from age and normal use. Holes made with permission are rarely a problem, especially if you agreed the blinds stay. If you agreed to make good, fill and touch up the holes neatly before you leave.

Deposit scheme mydeposits explains fair wear and tear as deterioration that happens because of age and normal use, and says a good check-in inventory is the baseline for judging it. Things like the length of the tenancy and the number of people living there are taken into account.

Making good is simple when brackets are small and fixed carefully. Most roller blind brackets need two small screws each. If you agreed to remove the blinds at the end, fill the holes with a suitable filler, sand flush and touch up with matching paint. On uPVC or aluminium frames, drilling is harder to hide, which is one reason fixing into the plaster or ceiling above the window is often the better choice in a rental.

Leaving the blinds in place

Many landlords are happy for good blinds to stay when you move out, because they add to the property. If you agree this at the start, you avoid filling holes altogether. Get it in writing, and make sure the blinds are listed on the check-out inventory as left with permission.

What no-drill blind options are there for renters?

No-drill blind options for renters include tension-fitted blinds that press between the sides of a recess, clip-on brackets that hook over the top of some opening window sashes, and adhesive-mounted blinds. They avoid holes, but they suit only certain windows, and most have limits on size, weight and how firmly they stay in place.

No-drill products are usually sold ready-made in set sizes, which can leave gaps around the edges. For light control in a bedroom, gaps matter. Our comparison of made-to-measure vs ready-made roller blinds explains the differences in fit and finish.

HD Blinds fits made-to-measure roller blinds with secure brackets, so if you want our blinds, the first step is getting your landlord’s permission for a screw fixing.

Should you ask your landlord to pay for blinds?

Asking your landlord to pay for blinds, or share the cost, is reasonable because the blinds stay with the property and benefit future tenants. Some landlords would rather supply blinds themselves so they control the fabric and quality. Others will contribute if you arrange the measuring and fitting.

There are three common arrangements:

• Landlord supplies: the landlord or agent orders the blinds, owns them and deals with repairs.
• Cost shared: you split the cost, agree the blinds stay, and put the agreement in writing.
• Tenant supplies: you pay, you own the blinds, and you agree whether they stay or go at the end.

It helps to send your landlord a rough figure and some fabric options. Our roller blind price estimator gives a guide cost, and free fabric samples by post let you both see and agree the colour before anything is ordered. Landlords weighing up what to fit may find our guide on blinds for landlords and letting agents useful to forward.

Can you take your blinds with you when you move?

Taking your blinds with you when you move is possible if you paid for them and did not agree to leave them. The catch is size: made-to-measure blinds fit one window exactly, so they will only suit your next home if the windows there are the same size or slightly larger with an outside-recess fit.

Before you remove blinds, check what you agreed. If the landlord contributed to the cost, or agreed to the fitting on condition the blinds stay, they belong with the property.

If you want to reuse blinds, measure the windows in your next home before moving day. A blind made for a recess is unlikely to fit a different recess. A blind fitted outside the recess is more forgiving, as it can sometimes cover a slightly smaller window. Our guide on how to measure for roller blinds shows how to take accurate measurements.

1. Measure the new windows, noting whether each blind would sit inside or outside the recess.
2. Compare with your current blinds’ widths and drops.
3. Take the blinds down carefully, keeping brackets and screws with each blind.
4. Make good the holes in the old property, as agreed.

Common mistakes renters make with blinds

Common mistakes renters make with blinds include fitting without written permission, drilling into window frames, not photographing the windows first, forgetting to agree what happens at the end of the tenancy, and buying ready-made blinds that leave gaps. Each one either risks your deposit or wastes money on blinds that do not work well.

• Relying on a verbal yes: agents change and memories fade.
• Drilling into uPVC frames: holes are harder to hide than in plaster.
• Skipping photos: you need a before and after record.
• Leaving the ending vague: agree now whether blinds stay or go.
• Removing child safety devices: chain tensioners are there for a reason, especially in family homes.

Getting blinds for a rented home in London, Essex and North Kent

Renters in London, Essex and North Kent can book a free home measure with HD Blinds once they have their landlord’s permission. We measure every window, bring fabric samples, and give a written, no-obligation quote you can share with your landlord. Our own team fits the blinds, using neat, secure brackets.

Many rented homes across East London and Essex are Victorian and Edwardian terraces converted into flats, where recesses are rarely square, and new-build apartments with uPVC or aluminium frames. In both, a written quote with exact sizes makes it easier for your landlord to say yes.

Frequently asked questions