Renters - do you use command strips or picture hooks?

[DaffodilsHouse]

I am really keen to hang my pictures up as I don't feel at home without them, but conscious it's a rental. Does anyone use those command strips and do they actually work (ie not strip the paint off)?

We have permission to drill a couple of things into the wall and will be paying for a decorator to smooth over those bits at the end of our tenancy, so I'm not sure whether to bother trying command strips or just bang some picture hooks in.

If you've got holes that will need filling anyway I'd probably just go with the hooks. Most of the time I've found command strips fine, but there have been a few times they've taken paint off and a few where they've lost their stick and thing have fallen off the wall (I've used them in a lot of rented places!).

I've found Command hooks work well - never had any damage from them.

You have to remove them correctly though. Make sure you read the instructions carefully - or search for a video online. It's easy when you know how, but not intuitive.

Command strips are ok, but if the wall is remotely wonky the strips don't hold very well, and you end up having to use more, which is a pain. The adhesive picture hooks from Ikea (Alfta) are better in that regard, but I haven't tried taking them off yet so don't know if the paint will be affected. If you have permission I'd probably do it the old fashioned way.

Depends what you're hanging. Command strips hold small light frames / canvases well (and I've never had them take the paint off) but for larger and heavier things I wouldn't trust them. DP put some large (A1 size) framed posters in our hallway with command strips and they kept falling down. Cannot confirm if this was command strip lack of strength or user malfunction though