How to Fix a Door That Won’t Close Properly in a Rental

Wallpaper Removal in a Rental: Proceed Carefully

If your rental has wallpaper and you are wondering whether you can remove it or have already done so, the key issue is whether you have damaged the underlying drywall. Aggressive wallpaper removal tears the paper facing off drywall, which creates a rough, absorbent surface that takes significant work to repair. If you are dealing with this situation, or need to safely remove wallpaper as part of move-out prep, a careful approach protects both the wall and your deposit.

Before You Remove Anything: Check Your Lease

Some rental leases explicitly prohibit tenants from making alterations including removing wallpaper. If your lease includes this restriction and you have already removed or damaged wallpaper, document the pre-existing condition thoroughly with your move-in photos. If wallpaper removal is not prohibited and you want to remove it before move-out, proceed with the right technique to avoid wall damage.

Scoring and Soaking Method

Score the wallpaper surface lightly with a wallpaper scoring tool. This creates small perforations that allow a removal solution to penetrate to the adhesive backing. Mix a wallpaper removal solution according to the product instructions, or make a DIY version with fabric softener and warm water. Apply it generously with a sponge or spray bottle and allow it to soak for 10 to 15 minutes. The wallpaper should then peel away in larger sections without excessive force.

Working in Sections

Work from the top down and from one side to the other. Use a wide putty knife held at a shallow angle to slide under the wallpaper and lift it away from the wall. Avoid digging the corner of the knife into the wall surface. Rewet any sections that have dried before attempting to remove them. Pulling dry wallpaper tears the drywall facing. Patience and adequate soaking time is the key to clean removal.

Repairing Damaged Drywall After Removal

If removal damaged the paper facing on the drywall, the affected areas need to be sealed with a drywall primer before any paint or skim coat is applied. Painting directly over torn drywall facing causes the paper to bubble and peel. Apply an oil-based primer or a dedicated drywall sealer to all damaged areas, allow to dry fully, skim coat with joint compound to smooth any rough texture, sand, and repaint.

Find wallpaper removal solutions and repair supplies: wallpaper removal supplies on Amazon.

More help: Walls and Patching guides

Making Minor Repairs Before Move-Out

Minor repairs before move-out are almost always worthwhile from a pure financial calculation. A landlord who charges for repairs will typically bill at market rate or above for contractor labor — often $50 to $150 per hour — for tasks that a renter can address with $5 to $20 in materials and an hour of effort. Nail holes in drywall, scuff marks on painted walls, loose cabinet hinges, and caulk gaps around tubs and sinks are all common repair items that fall in this category. Addressing them yourself before move-out prevents inflated repair deductions that far exceed the actual cost of the fix.

Drywall repair for small nail holes is one of the most common and straightforward move-out repairs. Spackling compound or lightweight joint compound, applied with a putty knife, allowed to dry, sanded smooth, and painted to match the wall eliminates most nail holes completely. For holes up to about 4 inches in diameter, a drywall patch kit with a self-adhesive mesh backing simplifies the process. Matching paint is the most challenging part of wall repair — if you have leftover paint from the unit, use it. Otherwise, bringing a paint chip to a hardware store for color matching is usually accurate enough for small patches when the wall paint has faded somewhat from its original color.

Cleaning and repairing flooring before move-out requires honesty about what qualifies as damage versus normal wear. Carpet that shows foot traffic paths and general fading is normal wear; carpet with pet stains, large rips, or burns is damage. For hardwood floors, superficial scratches visible only in raking light are typically normal wear; deep gouges that catch your fingernail are damage. Wood floor scratch repair kits with color-matched markers or wax sticks are effective for minor surface scratches on hardwood and laminate. Steam cleaning carpet yourself and renting a professional-grade machine are both options that can address moderate staining — but severe staining or damage may require professional assessment rather than DIY remediation.

Knowing when not to repair is equally important. Attempting major repairs — replacing large sections of drywall, fixing plumbing, or addressing electrical issues — without the skills and tools to do it correctly can make the situation worse and create additional deductions. For significant damage, getting your own contractor estimate before move-out gives you an independent cost assessment that you can use to contest an inflated landlord charge. Some damage is genuinely beyond DIY remedy, and in those cases, negotiating directly with your landlord about an agreed deduction before move-out — rather than receiving a surprise bill — is often the most efficient resolution.