Can renters use wallpaper?

Yes, with the right product and some preparation. Sandberg and Rebel Walls both specify their Peel & Stick ranges as temporary wallcoverings suited to accent walls and to renters. How any self-adhesive paper behaves on removal depends on the wall beneath it, the paint under that, and how long it has been up, so test a sample on your own wall first and ask your property manager in writing before you start.

Where should peel and stick not be used?

Rebel Walls advises against their Peel & Stick range in bathrooms and other rooms with significant temperature and humidity changes, on rough or textured walls, and on ceilings. Peel and stick suits smooth, painted, fully cured plaster.

Wallpaper for Rentals: What to Choose and How to Remove It

Last updated: 7 August 2026

Renting shouldn't mean beige walls for a decade. Wallpaper is one of the few changes you can make to a rental that transforms a room and comes back off again. Here's how Australian renters do it properly.

Rule one: ask first, in writing

Whatever product you choose, a quick message to your property manager saves grief at inspection time. Most say yes to removable wallpaper on one feature wall, and offering to show them the product page helps. Keep the reply with your bond paperwork.

The renter's product: peel and stick

Our peel and stick range is self-adhesive: no paste touches the wall, and it comes away by peeling rather than soaking or scraping.

We stock peel and stick from two makers, and it is worth reading what they say about their own product. Sandberg specify their Mattic Peel & Stick™ as a temporary wallcovering, suited to accent walls, to rooms you expect to change, and to renters. Rebel Walls say the same of theirs. Both are specific about where it should not go, and they agree: Sandberg do not recommend their Peel & Stick for textured surfaces, or for areas exposed to high humidity or significant temperature change, because those conditions affect adhesion. Rebel Walls rule out bathrooms and other rooms with big temperature and humidity swings, rough or textured walls, and ceilings. Sandberg ask for smooth, clean, well-prepared walls. Both recommend ordering a material sample before you commit.

We won't tell you your walls will be untouched, because that isn't ours to promise. How any self-adhesive paper behaves on the way off depends on the wall beneath it, the paint under that, and how long it has been up. What we can tell you is how to find out cheaply, before it matters.

Test before you commit

Test a corner first. Order a sample, stick it somewhere hidden — behind a door, low in a wardrobe — for a week, then peel it. If the paint underneath is old, chalky or poorly applied, you will find out on a 10 cm square rather than a whole wall.
Check the paint's age. Paint needs about four weeks to cure. Self-adhesive film on paint that is dry but not cured is the most common way people come unstuck.
Peel low and slow when you leave — flat against the wall, not outward. Warm days make removal easier.

What about paste-the-wall paper in a rental?

Modern non-woven paste-the-wall paper is designed to strip off dry in full sheets, which is how most of the industry now works. But paste is involved, more landlords hesitate, and removal on poorly painted walls can lift paint. Our practical advice: peel and stick for rentals unless your landlord has approved a pasted paper in writing. The comparison: peel & stick vs paste-the-wall.

Where one wall does the most work

Behind the bed — the classic. The room changes completely, and the wall is half-hidden by your headboard until the day you take it down.
The living room TV or sofa wall — anchors the whole space.
A rented nursery — soft cloud and animal designs from our nursery collection make a temporary home feel properly yours.

Leaving it as you found it

Photograph the wall before you start, keep your landlord's approval, remove slowly, and wipe the wall down afterwards. That order gives you the best chance of a clean handover, and a record if anyone asks.

Still unsure? Order a sample, or email us at mary@wallpapertrader.com — we're happy to help you get it right.