Landlords Beware: This TikTok Trend Could Lead to Sticky Situations
A popular DIY hack promoted on social media as a ‘renter-friendly upgrade’ is causing costly repair bills.
Search ‘renter-friendly hacks’ on TikTok and you’ll find endless videos on low-cost ways to customise a property.
Influencers share DIY transformation tips that they claim are easy to reverse at the end of a tenancy (so as not to jeopardise the rental deposit).
However, many of these so-called ‘upgrades’ are proving to be problematic.
Lettings expert Sarah Evans recently told The Sun newspaper that these ‘quick fixes’ can be costly to remedy.
And there’s one trend in particular that is causing a host of end-of-tenancy headaches.
The vinyl revival
Self-adhesive vinyl film – also known as sticky back plastic – is having quite a moment right now.
It comes in a variety of shapes, sizes and patterns (emulating finishes such as wood grain or marble).
The product is promoted as an inexpensive way to ‘add personality’ to tired tiles, worktops, woodwork, walls, flooring and furniture.
But while applying and removing it may look easy on social media, the reality is somewhat different.
In fact, Evans believes that sticky back plastic is now “the number one culprit for deposit deductions across rental properties in the UK”.
So what’s the problem?
Many tenants find that when they remove sticky back plastic (usually in a pre-check-out rush), half the wall or floor comes too.
The surface underneath may also be damaged and/or covered in an unpleasant, hard-to-remove residue. (Cue scraping and the application of chemicals that degrade the surface further.)
Repairing all this can be an expensive and time-consuming business.
What landlords need to know
Many ‘renter-friendly upgrade’ videos on TikTok make no mention of the need to get the landlord’s consent before making changes to a rental.
Other videos state explicitly: “What the landlord doesn’t know won’t hurt them.”
This is why it’s important for landlords to remind tenants that they need consent before making any alterations.
If a tenant requests to personalise the property, ask them to detail the work they hope to carry out to avoid any misunderstanding.
And, of course, always conduct periodic inspections.
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