Living in a rental doesn’t mean you have to settle for awkward TV setups. This guide explores smart, damage-free TV mounting options that keep your landlord happy and your living room looking sharp. Whether you’re after a sleek floating look or a moveable setup, we’ve covered the best ways to mount your TV without putting your bond at risk.
If you think about it, mounting a TV on a wall is an easy job. But most renters hesitate due to the fact that you’re basically punching a few holes in the wall, which sounds like it constitutes property damage.
Fortunately, it’s not as bad as it sounds, and you can actually do so.
It is legal to mount a television on a wall in your rented property in NSW, as long as you secure your landlord’s written consent. Clause 22 of the Residential Tenancies Regulation 2019 defines securing furniture, such as televisions, to a wall as a minor alteration [1].
Your landlord cannot refuse without a good reason, as long as the wall is not tiled.
But more often than not, most renters still don’t want to mount their TVs out of fear that the TVs are getting heavier, there’s just not enough space to mount to, and they might lose a couple thousand dollars over a few holes in the wall.
At Bright Force Electrical, we wrote this guide because renters often get caught out not just logistically, but also legally and electrically. As simple as it sounds, installing a new TV is not plug and play if you don’t have the proper power points and electrical provisions.
Knowing your legal rights as a renter in NSW won’t only keep your rent bond intact but also let you make property and safety-related decisions to make the most out of your rented property.
Section 66 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 states that you can and have the right to install a wall-mounted TV as long as you have your landlord’s written consent [2]. It also says that your landlord cannot unreasonably refuse a minor alteration, so as long as you have a proper plan and reason to install a wall-mounted TV, you should be in the clear.
Clause 22 of the Regulation covers “securing furniture to a wall of premises, other than a tiled wall, if it is necessary for the safe use of the furniture”, and it defines furniture to include televisions [1].
In any case, the regulation is written as a child-safety measure more than simply maximising floor-space. Leaving your toddler near a top-heavy TV on a low unit is highly unsafe and dangerous. If your reason is purely how it looks, you are relying on goodwill rather than the clause.
Where the protection stops. Clause 22 does not apply to heritage items, to homes on the Loose-Fill Asbestos Insulation Register, or to any strata work that affects common property or breaches the by-laws [3]. In those cases your landlord can say no.
If you rent an apartment. It’s totally fine if you’re mounting a TV on an internal wall inside your own lot. However, mounting it into a shared concrete party wall might not be possible, as you want to avoid the sounds coming from the TV vibrate through the wall and into your neighbor next door.
An internal wall inside your own lot is usually fine. A shared concrete party wall is common property, which is a different conversation. Adding a new power point is a bigger step again.
|
Dear [agent or landlord], I am writing to request written consent under Section 66 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 to wall mount a television at [address]. Securing a television to a wall is listed as a minor alteration under Clause 22 of the Residential Tenancies Regulation 2019, as it is necessary for the safe use of the item. The wall is standard plasterboard, not tiled. The bracket will be fixed to timber studs, and I will engage a licensed electrician for any electrical work. At the end of the tenancy I will remove the bracket, fill the holes and paint the patch to match. Please confirm your consent in writing. |
Wall-mounted TV brackets come in all shapes and sizes. That does not even include the different types of anchors designed for different wall materials and weight capacities. Here, we break down each mounting method, their corresponding requirements, design capacities, and what use case they are best for.
|
Mounting method |
Drill required? |
Plaster damage |
Max TV weight |
Bond risk |
Best suited for |
|
Timber stud mount |
Yes, 2 to 4 lag bolts |
Low, small patchable holes |
High, 80kg+ |
Very low |
Standard Gyprock stud walls |
|
Heavy-duty toggle anchors |
Yes, larger holes |
Medium, bigger patch |
Medium, up to 35kg |
Low to medium |
Hollow walls with no stud behind |
|
No-drill floor stand |
No |
None |
High, up to 50kg |
Zero |
No-drill leases, heritage homes |
|
Adhesive or clamp mounts |
No |
Very high, pulls paint off |
Very low, under 5kg |
Very high |
Never use these for a TV |
Never, ever use adhesive mounts to wall-mount your TV! Adhesive and clamp-mounts have very low weight capacities and they are surface-mounted only, so they have very high bond risk and tend to pull away the paint from your wall.
The safest and only way to mount your TV is by drilling and choosing the appropriate stud based on your wall type. If you’re moving out, simply fill it, sand it, touch up the filled hole with matching paint, and it’s gone!
Now, say you’ve managed to get written approval and are ready to drill a hole on your wall. You might find yourself asking: What’s next?
Here comes the fun part. You have 240V power cables, data lines, and water piping behind that wall, and you must properly drill the mounting holes without reaching or damaging any of those lines.
As certified Level 2 ASPs in Sydney, we use live wire detectors and identify existing power point locations to ensure any holes we drill on your wall are clear of invisible wiring and piping.
If you fear you may hit a cable, stop and call a licensed electrician. A nicked cable that’s dented or scratched may work fine for a while, but it may worsen over time and lead to an earth fault or worse, a fire hazard.
Our emergency electrician team takes these calls across Sydney, and what counts as an electrical emergency sets out where the line sits.
Managing to mount your TV on the wall is one thing, cable management is another beast. If you think spending half a day drilling the hole and mounting the TV is a tall order, taking the extra mile to properly tuck away the cables should make it a complete job.
The AS/NZS 3000 Wiring Rules advise against running your appliance cord inside a wall cavity [4]. These wires are not rated to be tucked behind a wall, and it will be difficult for electricians to inspect it once it is there.
There are two compliant ways to do it:
Whether you’re looking for a short lease or a long tenancy, feel free to reach out to us and we’ll gladly walk you through our electrician costs in Sydney.
Step 1: Obtain Written Approval: Assuming you finally get written consent and a thumbs-up from your landlord, here’s how to safely and properly mount your TV on your wall like a professional.
But before tinkering about and drilling holes into your wall, it’s important that you get the proper gear, tools, protective equipment, and basic knowledge in operating your power tools. Besides, if you’re unsure whether you can do the job cleanly and harm-free, call us and we’ll gladly do it for you.
Step 2: Map the wall. Before you mark anything, decide your viewing height using our ideal TV viewing height guide.
Mark both edges of each stud and work to the centre. Australian homes usually run studs at 450mm or 600mm centres. Scan the same area for live cables before you drill.
Step 3: Match the bracket to the TV. Check the VESA hole pattern on the back of the screen, and check the bracket is rated above your TV’s weight. A full-motion arm pulls much harder than a flat bracket, so it needs timber behind it.
Step 4: Drill and bolt. Pilot holes into the centre of the studs, then lag bolts through the bracket into timber. If you are using toggles instead, stay well under the weight limit.
Step 5: Sort the cables. Trunking on the surface, or a licensed electrician for a recessed power point. Never the wall cavity with a flexible lead.
If you’re planning to move out, one of the necessary steps to do before leaving is doing your due diligence on end-of-tenancy restoration.
Section 51 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2010 says you must leave the property “as nearly as possible in the same condition, fair wear and tear excepted”, measured against the condition report [2].
Here’s how you can safely and effectively patch your walls and guarantee your bond refund once you decide to move out:
Remove the hardware cleanly. Back the bolts out slowly so you do not tear the paper around the hole.
Prep the hole. Trim loose paper fibres flush with a sharp knife. A clean edge is what makes the patch vanish later.
Fill in thin layers. Use a lightweight pre-mixed filler and a flexible putty knife. Two or three thin coats sand flatter than one thick one.
Sand it flush. Use 180 to 220-grit paper and feather the edges into the wall, so there is no ridge to catch the light.
Match the paint properly. Take a 2cm paint chip from a hidden spot, behind a switch plate or inside a wardrobe, and have it colour-matched. Prime the patch, then roll the colour on with a mini foam roller, because a roller copies the wall’s stipple and a brush leaves a glossy island.
Properly patching up those holes will certainly lead to a smoother refund and they will be rarely questioned.
Not on their own. If you had written consent and the wall is patched and painted back to its original condition, there is no damage to claim for. NSW Fair Trading holds the bond and NCAT decides disputes, so keep your letter and dated photos.
Running the flexible lead that came with your TV inside a wall cavity does not comply with AS/NZS 3000, the Wiring Rules [4]. The compliant options are surface trunking or a recessed power point fitted by a licensed electrician.
You will need masonry anchors instead of lag bolts, and the holes are harder to hide later. In an apartment, the concrete party wall is usually common property, so Clause 22 does not cover it and strata approval applies [1].
Not for a television. Adhesive strips are not rated for the weight, and when they let go they take the plasterboard’s paper surface with them.
Not for the bracket. Mounting a TV to a stud is a job most people can do themselves. Installing a recessed power point, moving an existing one, or relocating cabling all legally require a licensed electrician in NSW [6].
Mounting a TV in a NSW rental is legal, protected as a minor alteration, and bond-safe when you get consent, use the right bracket and patch on the way out.
The electrical side is the part worth handing over. For a recessed power point, a compliant cable path, or an electrical safety inspection before a drill bit finds something, call Bright Force Electrical on 1300 724 942 or book a licensed Sydney electrician. Upfront fixed pricing, and a lifetime workmanship guarantee.
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