Hanging pictures and shelves safely

A shelf or a few frames can make a rented room feel like yours. Done badly, it means cracked walls, a lost deposit or a drill bit through a cable. Done well, it takes an hour.

Ask first if you rent

• In England, GOV.UK says tenants should only carry out repairs if the tenancy agreement allows it. Drilling into walls is an alteration, so check your agreement and ask the landlord or accommodation office in writing first.
• In Dubai, Gulf News, summarising the RERA tenancy rules, reports that a tenant cannot make changes to the property without the landlord's permission.
• Many university halls ban drilling, nails and adhesive hooks altogether and provide pinboards instead. Read the halls rules before you buy anything.
• If you are allowed, agree in writing whether you must fill and paint the holes when you leave, so it does not come out of your deposit.

Know your wall

• Plasterboard (hollow) walls need fixings made for plasterboard. Places for People warns that ordinary wall plugs can widen the holes because plasterboard is soft.
• Solid masonry (brick, block or stone) needs masonry fixings, and the drill switched to hammer mode because masonry is harder to drill.
• If you find a timber stud behind plasterboard, you can screw straight into it without a wall plug.
• A wall that sounds hollow when you knock is usually plasterboard; a dull, solid sound usually means masonry. If you are unsure, ask building maintenance or the landlord.

Find cables and pipes before you drill

• Always scan the area with a pipe, cable and stud detector first (Places for People). UK Power Networks warns that cables can be hidden in walls and below floors.
• Cables often run vertically from sockets and switches, or horizontally at the same height (Walabot). Never drill directly above, below or beside a socket or switch.
• Many detectors only find live wires, so a cable that is switched off may not show up. Treat a clear reading as a good sign, not a guarantee.
• Avoid drilling near radiators, sinks, toilets and showers, where water pipes are likely to run.

Putting up a shelf step by step

• Hold the first bracket at the height you want, check it with a spirit level and mark the holes with a pencil (Places for People).
• Measure across to the second bracket position and check the marks are level with the first, or the shelf will be wonky.
• Wrap masking tape around the drill bit at the length of the wall plug so you drill to the right depth and no deeper.
• Wear goggles, drill the holes, push in the right plugs for your wall, then screw the brackets on firmly and fit the shelf.
• Put heavy items near the brackets and lighter items in the middle, and do not overload a shelf beyond what the fixings are made for.

Pictures, mirrors and lighter items

• Weigh or estimate the item first and choose a hook or fixing rated for more than that weight; the packet states the limit.
• For a frame wider than about half a metre, two hooks keep it level and spread the weight.
• Mark the hook position with a pencil cross and a piece of masking tape to stop the plaster crumbling as you tap the pin in.
• Heavy mirrors and anything above a bed or desk deserve proper wall fixings, not adhesive strips.

If something goes wrong

• If you hit a water pipe, stop, turn off the water supply if you know where it is, and call the landlord or building maintenance immediately.
• If you think you have hit a cable, let go of the drill and do not touch it, the bit or the wall. Switch off the power at the consumer unit (fuse box) and call a qualified electrician or maintenance.
• Tell your landlord honestly. In England, Shelter notes that tenants are responsible for damage they cause, and hiding it usually makes it worse.