About a third of Australian households rent, and renting often means the wall is technically not yours to put holes in. That's the line in every standard tenancy agreement: "no nails, no screws, no permanent fixtures". Yet living in a home with bare walls for two years feels punishing, particularly when the rest of your life looks like a settled, considered home. This guide is about how to hang coastal art in rental properties without losing your bond, while still getting a result that looks like proper interior styling rather than student dorm.
There are real options now that didn't exist a decade ago. Some of them work brilliantly. Some are marketed as solutions but actually damage walls quietly. Here's what to use, what to avoid, and how to plan the install.
What the bond clause actually says
Most Australian tenancy agreements require the property to be returned in the same condition it was rented in, fair wear and tear excepted. Small holes from picture hooks are usually classified as fair wear and tear in residential renting (though commercial leases are stricter), but property managers vary in how they apply this.
The safe approach is to assume that any visible damage at the final inspection will be deducted from your bond, and plan accordingly. If you're confident your property manager is reasonable and the agreement permits picture hooks, you can use traditional hanging methods and just patch the holes on departure. If you're not confident or the agreement is strict, use the no-damage methods below.
Adhesive hanging strips: the real workhorse
Adhesive strips (most commonly the 3M Command range, sold in every Bunnings and hardware store) are the genuine solution for renting. Used properly they hold up to 7 kg per pair of strips, remove cleanly when peeled correctly, and leave no visible damage on properly painted walls.
The catches:
They don't work on every surface. Avoid them on textured wallpaper, freshly painted walls (wait at least three weeks after the wall was last painted), or surfaces with any grease or dust. Wipe the wall with isopropyl alcohol before applying.
They don't hold canvas above 7 kg per pair. For larger canvases use multiple strips spread across the back. Manufacturer ratings are honest — don't try to push a 10 kg canvas onto a single pair.
They require correct removal. Pull straight down (slowly, with the strip stretching) rather than pulling out from the wall. Pulling out tears the wall surface. The pulling-down technique is what releases the adhesive cleanly.
For renters hanging coastal art across multiple walls, adhesive strips will handle 80 percent of pieces under 100 cm in size. They're our default recommendation for our best sellers in residential rentals.
Leaning art: the most underused option
For art that's too large for adhesive strips, or for renters who want zero risk, leaning the art rather than hanging it works beautifully and is dramatically under-used.
The setup: place a long, narrow floating shelf (or simply lean directly against the wall), and rest the canvas or framed piece on a sideboard, mantel, or floor. The piece reads as deliberate — it's a styling choice galleries and high-end interior designers use intentionally. In rentals it has the bonus of being completely non-damaging.
What works well leaning: large canvases (130 cm+), pieces in heavier frames, photographic prints. What doesn't: small light pieces (they look lost), pieces in busy rooms (they get bumped). For a rental living room, a single large coastal piece leaning against the wall behind a low sofa is a stronger styling move than a wall full of small hung pieces.
Picture rails and existing hardware
Many older Australian rentals (especially in inner-city terraces and Queenslanders) still have picture rails — the horizontal moulding about 30 cm below the ceiling that was designed for hanging art with cords and hooks. If your rental has them, use them.
Picture rail systems are completely non-damaging. Hooks slide onto the rail, cords or wires drop down, and the art hangs at any height you choose. No holes anywhere. You can rearrange as often as you like, and on departure you simply remove the hooks.
Modern picture-rail systems are also available for purchase — a thin metal rail you can mount (with permission) at picture-rail height, then use forever. Good for renters in longer leases who plan to take the system with them when they move.
What not to use
- Double-sided foam tape (the cheap kind) — pulls paint off when removed
- Permanent adhesive hooks rated for "outdoor use" — same problem, often worse
- Velcro pads with permanent adhesive backing — the adhesive bonds to paint and rips it
- Drawing pins or thumbtacks in painted plasterboard — small holes but they chip the paint around the hole
- Toothpaste or putty for hole-filling at end of lease — visible to any property manager who knows what to look for
If a product doesn't specifically say "removable" and isn't from a known brand with a clear removal procedure, assume it will damage the wall.
How to install adhesive strips so they actually hold
The single biggest reason adhesive strips fail is poor installation. Five-minute procedure to do it right:
Wipe the wall clean with isopropyl alcohol (not just water). Let it dry completely. Apply the strips to the back of the artwork in the recommended positions (usually two top corners for pieces under 60 cm, four corners for larger). Press firmly for 30 seconds on each strip while the protective backing is still on. Remove the protective backing on the wall-side adhesive. Press the artwork against the wall and hold firmly for at least 30 seconds. Wait an hour before letting go entirely. Don't add weight (touching, leaning, anything) for at least 24 hours.
Done properly, this gives you a hold that survives years of normal rental living. Done quickly, you'll find the art on the floor within a week.
Sizing strategy for rentals
Renters often default to small art because they think small pieces are less risk. The opposite is usually true. Small pieces require more holes (more risk) and look worse than a single larger piece. Better to commit to one or two larger pieces with proper adhesive hanging or leaning, rather than five small pieces with five sets of nail holes to patch.
The pieces we recommend for renters tend to be mid-sized (80–130 cm) canvas works that can be hung with adhesive strips or leaned. Browse our best sellers at this size for ideas that suit the rental constraint.
Bringing it back to your home
Renting doesn't mean living with bare walls. Adhesive hanging strips, leaning, and existing picture rails cover almost every rental situation without leaving damage. The biggest mindset shift is to commit to fewer, larger pieces rather than scattering small art across multiple walls. Done thoughtfully, a rental can have coastal art that reads as confident interior styling rather than as a temporary arrangement. Ask us for sizing and hanging-method advice for any piece you're considering.
Wall art for renters — the brief is genuinely different
Renting changes almost everything about how you approach wall art. You can't punch large holes in plaster. You can't repaint to suit the artwork. You may need to take everything down at short notice for inspection. And you definitely need it all to come down cleanly at the end of the lease without leaving wall damage that costs you your bond. None of that means coastal art is off the table — it just means the install method matters as much as the art itself.
The good news is that modern no-damage hanging systems are genuinely excellent. Command Strips, 3M removable hooks, and tension-rod systems can hold prints up to about 5 kg without leaving a mark — which covers everything in our Small through Large stretched-canvas range and most framed paper prints up to X Large.
Three no-damage install setups that actually work
Command Strip installs for canvas up to ~5 kg. The picture-hanging strips (not the small hooks) are the right product. Two strips per side of a Medium-Large canvas, applied properly, will hold for years. They release cleanly when you pull the tab. This is the default solution for any rental and works for everything in the abstract ocean and beach art collection up to about 80×80 cm.
Picture-rail systems for anything heavier. If your rental has existing picture rails (older Federation, Edwardian and post-war homes often do), you can hang almost unlimited weight with no wall damage at all. Modern hanging-wire kits are inexpensive and look clean.
Leaner installations for the largest pieces. X Large and XX Large canvases can simply be leaned against a wall behind a sideboard or sofa. It reads as a deliberate gallery-style choice and avoids hanging entirely. Works especially well in narrow hallways and behind low furniture.
If you're renting a furnished property short-term and want to take art with you when you move, lean towards canvas over framed glazed paper — canvas survives transport better and weighs less. Pieces from the beach house collection are well-suited to the rental brief.
Choosing the right size for your space
Most rooms benefit from a single piece that's a bit larger than feels comfortable on the showroom floor. As a rule of thumb, the hero piece should fill 60–75% of the width of the furniture sitting beneath it (sofa, bedhead, dining sideboard). For an average three-seater couch, that's an X Large print in the 110–150 cm range. Salt and Sol prints come in a consistent size ladder so you can match scale to room rather than guess. The everyday range runs Small (around 30×46 cm), Medium (40×60 cm or 60×60 cm), Large (60×90 cm or 80×80 cm), X Large (110×81 cm or 76×112 cm) and XX Large (102×150 cm or 134×107 cm). The same image is available as an archival paper print, a stretched canvas, a framed print or a floating-frame canvas, so once you have the right size and substrate, the rest is just picking the finish that suits the wall.
If you're hanging in a hallway or above a small console, drop down to Medium (around 60×60 cm) and let the negative space do the work. Coastal styling rewards restraint, and a Medium print at the right eye line will out-perform an oversized piece squeezed into a narrow space every time.
Still unsure? Tape a piece of newspaper or a delivery box up at the size you're considering, step back, and live with it for an evening before you order. Nine times out of ten you'll go a size larger.
Caring for your print
A coastal print really only needs three things: dust it gently with a microfibre cloth every few weeks, keep it out of direct UV (the print itself is pigment-stable but no print loves a four-hour daily sun bath), and let it acclimatise to the room before you hang it — especially if it has travelled in a cold courier van and is going into a humid coastal home. Avoid hanging directly above a stovetop, an open fire or a steamy ensuite, and you'll keep the substrate flat and the colour rendition exactly as it left the studio.
If your print does pick up a stubborn mark, a barely-damp microfibre and a gentle dab usually lifts it. Avoid window cleaner, citrus sprays and anything else with a solvent — they can pull pigment off the surface of a paper print or cloud the matte finish on a stretched canvas. For framed pieces, dust the frame and glazing separately so you're not pushing grit across the surface.
A note from Sally
I started Salt and Sol because the coastal art on the Australian market kept missing the mark — either it was generic stock photography stretched onto canvas, or it was priced for galleries rather than real beach houses. The pieces in our catalogue are the ones I'd hang in my own home, vetted with my Booragoon and Noosaville studio teams.
Sally is a Noosa-based photographer and the founder of Salt and Sol Studio. She splits her time between the Noosaville studio in Queensland and the Booragoon studio in Western Australia, working with Australian and international photographers to bring honest, considered coastal imagery into local homes. More about Sally's approach and the photographers she works with is on the Sally Kirchell profile page.
Bringing it home
The shortcut for any coastal styling decision is: fewer, bigger, calmer. Pick one hero piece per room, scale it generously, and let the wall around it breathe. Every Salt and Sol order is produced through our Australian print partners and shipped from our Noosaville (QLD) or Booragoon (WA) studios — usually with you inside a fortnight. If you'd like a second opinion on size or substrate, our team is happy to look at a photo of the room before you commit.
Common questions about wall art for renters
"What's the weight limit for Command Strips?" The standard large picture-hanging strips are rated for around 2.3 kg per pair. For most Medium-Large canvases (3–5 kg), two pairs per piece is reliable. Read the packaging and stay within rated weight to avoid surprises.
"Will Command Strips damage paint when removed?" Almost never, if applied and removed per the instructions. The key is the slow downward pull on the tab — the wrong removal technique is what causes the rare paint failures.
"What about brick or rendered walls?" Command Strips don't work well on textured surfaces. For brick or rough render, look at masonry-rated removable hangers, picture-rail systems, or leaning installations behind furniture.
A worked example — fully styled rental without a single hole
A renter recently fitted out a 2-bedroom Sydney apartment with eight Salt and Sol pieces — across the living room, dining, bedroom, hallway and study — without putting a single hole in any wall. Three pieces went up on Command Strips, two on the existing picture rail in the hallway, two leaning behind furniture (a sideboard and a low bookshelf), and one on a tension rod across the bathroom doorway.
Two years into the lease, all eight pieces are still up, the walls are unmarked, and the apartment photographs beautifully. When the lease ends, all eight come down in about 45 minutes with no remediation work required.
The takeaway: renters can have a fully-styled coastal home without compromise. The install methods exist; they just need to be planned alongside the artwork purchases. Browse the beach house collection for pieces sized appropriately for Command-Strip and leaning installations.
Where to go from here
For renters, lean towards stretched canvas (lighter, more transportable, more no-damage-install options) rather than framed glazed paper. Sizes from Small through Large work easily with Command Strips; X Large and XX Large work best as leaning installations or on picture rails. Browse the best sellers for crowd-tested options.
Five mistakes renters make with wall art
Mistake one: assuming no-damage means no real art. No-damage hanging systems support up to 5 kg of weight, which covers almost everything Medium-Large in the Salt and Sol catalogue.
Mistake two: cheap removable hooks under-rated for the piece's weight. Read the rated weight on the packaging and stay under it. The cheap small hooks fail under load and the failure can damage the piece and the wall.
Mistake three: leaving pieces up too long in one position. Some adhesives weaken over years. Re-checking pieces annually and re-applying as needed avoids surprises.
Mistake four: hanging on freshly-painted walls. Paint needs 4+ weeks to fully cure before adhesives bond reliably. Hanging on fresh paint can pull paint off when removed.
Mistake five: removing strips by yanking. The slow downward pull on the tab is essential. Pulling outward is what causes the rare paint failures.
Rental considerations specific to Australian housing
Australian rental housing varies hugely — from modern apartment blocks (plasterboard everywhere, fine for Command Strips) to Federation and Edwardian terraces (often picture rails available, fine for picture-wire hanging) to weatherboard cottages (sometimes timber-lined walls, harder for adhesives but receptive to careful nail or screw installations the landlord may approve).
If you're in a rental with picture rails (very common in Australian housing built 1880–1950), use them — you can hang almost unlimited weight with zero wall damage. Modern picture-wire kits are inexpensive and look clean. For plasterboard apartments, lean into Command Strip installations and leaning. For older weatherboard or character homes, ask your landlord — many are happy with traditional installations if the holes are filled at lease end.
Browse the beach house collection for stretched-canvas pieces particularly well-suited to rental installations.
Quick reference
Command Strips for canvas up to 5 kg. Picture-rail wire for heavier or older homes. Leaning for X Large and XX Large pieces. Check pieces annually, re-apply as needed. Wait 4+ weeks after painting before applying adhesives.
Going deeper — the design philosophy of renter-friendly art
Renting changes the cost equation around wall art in a way that's worth thinking through carefully. The pieces you buy as a renter need to survive multiple moves, multiple wall types, multiple lighting conditions, and the eventual transition into eventual home ownership — without becoming awkwardly-sized or stylistically dated along the way. That's a different brief from buying art for a forever home.
The pieces that age best across the renting-to-owning transition tend to share a few characteristics. Medium-to-Large sizes (Small pieces look apologetic in larger eventual rooms; XX Large pieces are hard to transport between rentals). Stretched canvas substrate (lighter, more transportable, no glass to break in transit). Calm coastal subjects (work in a wide range of room contexts). Neutral framing or no framing (matches a wider range of interior styles).
There's also a piece of long-view thinking about the economics. A serious-quality archival piece bought at age 25 will still be a quality piece at age 45 — when most renters have transitioned to ownership and might have several more decades of life with the piece in front of them. The amortised cost over 20+ years of ownership is genuinely modest, and the piece becomes part of a long-term home identity rather than a disposable rental-decor purchase.
Building a small collection over a renting lifecycle — one quality piece every year or two, all from the same curated catalogue — produces a body of art that anchors successive homes through the journey from share house to eventual ownership. By the time you're ready to settle in a permanent home, you have a real collection rather than a generic decor purchase. That's a meaningfully better outcome than buying disposable IKEA poster prints to fill walls cheaply, and the per-year cost works out similar. Browse the best sellers collection as a starting point for slow-build collecting through a renting lifecycle.
Related coastal collections worth browsing
If you want to explore further, the following collections are good starting points for related coastal-art decisions. The best sellers collection gathers the pieces that consistently work hardest across Australian homes — a safe starting point if you're new to coastal art. The photography collection spans our full curated network of Australian and international coastal photographers, and is worth a slow browse rather than a quick scan.
For more specific contexts: the beach house collection is curated specifically for coastal Australian homes, the abstract ocean and beach art collection for less-literal coastal styling, the black and white prints collection for the most architectural coastal palette, and the triptych collection for set arrangements that anchor wide walls.
For room-specific shopping, browse the living room, bedroom, bathroom, dining room and office collections, each curated for the lighting, scale and tone the room typically wants.
From the Salt and Sol studio
Salt and Sol is a Beyond a Word brand based out of Noosaville (QLD) and Booragoon (WA), run by Sally Kirchell with a small studio team across both locations. We've been printing and shipping coastal art into Australian homes for years, and the perspective in these guides comes from genuine conversations with customers — what worked, what didn't, what they wish they'd known before they bought.
If you're working through a coastal-art decision and want a second opinion before you commit, our team is happy to help. Send a photo of the room to our contact page and we'll suggest pieces from the catalogue that fit the wall, the light, the surrounding furniture and the brief. Most rooms have a clear right answer; we're good at finding it quickly.
All Salt and Sol orders are produced through Australian print partners using archival pigment inks on coated substrates, and shipped from our Noosaville or Booragoon studio — usually with you inside a fortnight. ABN 27 856 643 769.