How to hang things without drilling in an apartment

Start with two questions

Before you buy anything, it helps to know two things: how much the item weighs, and what you'd be hanging it on. That's honestly most of the decision. A kitchen scale or a bathroom scale works fine for the weight. For the wall, run your hand across it. If you can feel a raised, bumpy pattern, like orange peel or knockdown, it's textured, and adhesive won't grip it the way the package promises.

Then think about where else the thing could go. A door, the inside of a cabinet and the inside of a window frame are all spots where you don't need to touch the wall at all. Those are often the easiest wins in a rental, because there's nothing to peel or patch when you move out.

What works by weight and surface

Find your item's weight on the left, then read across to your surface. Each ratings figure comes from the maker's listing, and the links go to the guide with the details.

Light things on a smooth wall

For keys, a leash, a light bag or a small frame, adhesive is the simplest fix. Command rates its Large hook at 5 lb and its Medium hook at 3 lb, and its display ledge at 2 lb. Those numbers assume smooth painted drywall, tile, glass, finished wood or metal. Here's the catch: they also assume paint that's had at least seven days to cure, and a spot you've wiped with rubbing alcohol first. Skip either step and the rating doesn't mean much.

If you're in a dorm with painted cinder block, adhesive can work when the paint is smooth and well bonded. Rough or chalky block is a different story, and we'd use the door instead.

Coats, towels and bags: use the door

A wet coat or a loaded tote often weighs more than 5 lb, which is past what a single adhesive hook is rated for. An over-the-door rack is the better fit. The UDENIS rack is listed for doors up to 1.77 inches thick and rates each hook at about 11 lb. Most hollow-core apartment doors are 1-3/8 inches thick, so measure yours at the top edge and check there's a gap above it so the door still closes.

Inside a cabinet or window frame: tension

A spring tension rod presses against two walls and holds by friction, so there's no adhesive and no hole. Under a sink, a tension rod lets you hang spray bottles by their triggers. The rods we list fit cabinets 12 to 36 inches wide and are rated for 5 lb or 6.6 lb. The same idea works for a light curtain inside a window frame, as long as the frame has two flat, solid sides to push against.

Bathrooms and tile

Smooth, glazed tile is one of the surfaces Command lists, so a light hook for a robe or a loofah can work there. The trick is the prep. Clean the tile with rubbing alcohol, let it dry fully, and put the hook up when the room isn't steamy. Grout lines are the weak spot, so center the strip on a single tile rather than across a joint. For bath towels, which get heavy when they're wet, we'd go back to the over-the-door rack on the bathroom door.

A quick check before you hang anything

1. Weigh the item, and add a bit for anything that gets wet or gets loaded up later.
2. Feel the wall. Smooth and painted is good for adhesive; bumpy, papered or brick isn't.
3. Think about when the wall was last painted. Under seven days, wait.
4. Look for a door, cabinet or window frame that could do the job instead.
5. Read the rating on the package and stay comfortably under it.
6. Plan how it'll come off before it goes up, so move-out day is easy.

Heavy things: lean, stand or rethink

A big mirror, a full bookshelf or a TV isn't a job for adhesive, whatever the package says about strength. To be fair, that's not the answer most people want, but it's the one that protects your wall and the thing you're hanging. Lean a heavy mirror or framed print against the wall, stand it on a dresser, or use freestanding furniture for books and real weight.

Picture-hanging strips can work for a light mirror or frame. 3M sells sets rated for up to 3, 6 or 12 lb. Stay well within the rating, and use the number of strips the package asks for.

Getting strips off without peeling paint

Removal is where most wall damage happens. The good news is thatCommand's FAQ is clear about how to do it: hold the base lightly, grab the tab, and pull it slowly straight down along the wall, stretching it as you go. Don't pull it out toward you, because that's when paint tends to lift.

If the tab snaps off, Command suggests sliding dental floss behind the strip and sawing gently, or warming it with a hair dryer so the adhesive softens. Even done right, there's no guarantee on old, weak or freshly painted walls. Our guide to whether Command strips damage walls goes through why paint peels and how to lower the odds.

When a small nail hole is the better option

Worth knowing: plenty of leases allow small nail holes, and a tiny hole is often easier to fix than a patch of torn paint. If you want to hang something heavier than adhesive can take, ask your landlord what they're fine with, and get the answer in writing if you can. A small picture nail plus a dab of spackle at move-out is a pretty standard fix, and many landlords expect it. If your lease or your landlord says no holes at all, stick with the door, tension and freestanding options above.

Common questions