Do Apartments Allow TV Mounts?

Wanting to make a space your own is normal, but it can be challenging to do if you’re leasing your space.

Even something such as mounting a TV can make many tenants hesitate. Look, no one wants to lose their deposit!

And the last thing you want is to get in an argument with your landlord or landlady.

Luckily, there are many apartment-friendly ways to personalize a rented space, starting with mounting your TV.

Yes! We’re starting with one of the biggest questions tenants have: Do apartments allow TV mounts?

To give a brief answer, it depends on the type of TV mount you’re planning to use. If you’re thinking about drilling holes into your walls to mount your TV, don’t go through with it!

Sure, you can probably get away with that for a few months or even a few years, but having to cover up those holes when it’s time to move out will be a pain in the neck.

So what can you do? What are ways to mount your TV without causing any issue with the landlord? 

Sit back and enjoy the read!

Why Bother Mounting a TV In Your Apartment?

We know wall-mounted TVs are not allowed, so why do it anyway? 

Because apartments nowadays are small. Imagine having a complete entertainment set-up inside a 200-square-foot apartment. 

Unless you are willing to live in a cramped entertainment space, you will want to look for alternative ways to make the most out of your space.

You can probably make do with a small TV, but what about your living room? Your dining table? 

Choosing to mount your TV on a console can eat up the space in your already tiny apartment. You might not even be able to have a full living room set because of it.

You need to be as smart as possible when it comes to managing your space in a small apartment, and a mounted TV is one of the best ways to do that. 

It frees up space that you can use for extra storage or have a comfortable dining/lounging area. Plus, who doesn’t want those sleek, luxurious, hotel-ey vibes after a long day at work?

Do Apartments Allow TV Mounts?

No, most apartments don’t allow TV mounts. 

But it really depends on the landlord and the type of mount you’re planning on using.

Some landlords don’t want to deal with hole-y dry walls when ex-tenants move out. In addition to being expensive to fix, it also devalues their properties.

That said, some landlords do allow their tenants to mount their TVs as long as they promise to foot the bill for the repairs when they move out.

So make sure to read your contract and speak to your landlord before making any holes in the wall. 

Things to Consider Before Mounting Your TV to Your Wall

Let’s say your landlord has given you the green light to put a wall mount. Is it really the right move?

Yes, you want to be smart about your limited living space. But should you push through with the wall-mounted TV? 

Here are some things to consider before you start drilling holes into your living room walls:

Are Your Walls Strong Enough?

It’s not uncommon to notice weaker walls inside apartments. This is a characteristic that is quite normal for large homes that were converted into smaller living spaces. 

So, before you start drilling holes and propping up TVs, ask your landlord if they know anything about what the walls are made of. 

If your landlord isn’t sure about the conditions of their walls, try asking if it would be alright to call in professionals to check.

How Thin are Your Walls?

This one is not about the durability of your walls. Rather, we’re talking about how much a mounted TV will bother your neighbors.

Hearing some noise from one’s neighbors is common, but check if having your TV mounted on the wall will be too loud for your neighbors and annoy them.

You can also opt to use home speakers  and install them farther away from the walls, so you don’t have to worry about making too much noise during movie nights.

Do You Have a Backup Plan Just In Case the Installation Goes Wrong?

Accidents can happen during installations, especially if you’re planning on DIY-ing your wall-mounted TV.

In the event that things go wrong in the middle of installation, will you be able to afford to repair the wall? 

You should carefully consider this before you start drilling any holes.

In the Worst-Case Scenario, Can You Afford to Fix the Whole Wall?

Let’s say you have the TV mounted on the wall. Then, one day, the TV falls off and rips off a huge chunk of cement from the wall. 

You call up a carpenter and they tell you that they can’t just patch it up with drywall, and you’ll have to replace the whole thing. Will you have the funds to do that?

We’re not sharing these to discourage you from mounting your TV. We only want you to be aware of the possible risks of installing a wall-mounted TV in an apartment complex.

Apartment-Friendly TV Mount Options

Want to avoid damage as much as possible? Not to worry, here are a few apartment-friendly TV wall mounts! 

Pillar Stands

Pillar TV stands  are sturdy, free-standing mounts that you can put in almost any corner of your room.  

They come in different colors, designs, and models. Not only that, but you can also adjust the height of your stand for optimum movie-night comfort.

Some even come with built-in shelving to help give you additional storage without taking up too much room.

Corner TV Stands

Next, we have corner TV stands 

Well, they’re built more like consoles instead of stands. But they are an excellent space-saving alternative to TV mounts. 

They’re the safest of the three stands because you won’t have to worry about your TV falling off its brackets and crashing down on the floor.

Your TV will be mounted on a proper stand and placed on a flat, stable surface. Plus, these corner stands/consoles are able to fit in one small corner in almost any room – hence the name.

Swivel TV Mount

If you are really adamant about having a wall-mounted TV, a full-motion swivel TV bracket  can be a great alternative. 

While you will need to drill some holes into the walls, you won’t have to worry about leaving huge craters that you need to repair when you move out.

Conclusion

Whether or not you’ll be allowed to mount your TV to the wall will really depend on the agreement you’ve made with your landlord. 

While it’s common for most apartment buildings and apartment complexes to prohibit tenants from drilling holes into the walls, you can try to convince your landlord to make an exception.

You can come to an agreement that you will foot the bill for the repairs and that you don’t get a gigantic TV.

In case your landlord doesn’t budge, there are tenant-friendly ways that you can mount your TV to the walls to save space and avoid as much damage as possible.

We hope we were able to provide you with useful information for maximizing your apartment’s space and avoiding bad blood with your landlord and neighbors. 

Let us know if you have any more questions in the comments section below!