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Picture & Art Hanging

Picture & Art Hanging near you

Picture hanging is a small job with an unusually clear legal status in Australia, and that is the reason it is worth writing about. In a New South Wales strata scheme, installing or replacing hooks, nails, screws, handrails, blinds, curtains or built-in wardrobes is listed as cosmetic work, which needs no approval from the owners corporation at all. In a New South Wales tenancy, installing or replacing hooks, nails or screws for hanging paintings, picture frames and other similar items is a minor change that a landlord cannot unreasonably refuse consent for.

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So this is the one job an apartment dweller or a renter can usually get done without a meeting or an argument, which is exactly why professional hangers spend so much of their time in units and rentals. What varies is the wall. A gallery wall in a 1920s cottage with lath-and-plaster or solid plaster over brick behaves nothing like the same wall of frames in a new apartment lined over steel studs, and the difference decides the hardware rather than the layout.

The other thing that varies is what is worth hanging properly. A poster in a clip frame can go on a single hook. A heavy mirror, a stretched canvas above a bed or a framed work with glass is a load that has to reach something structural, and in a country where a lot of walls are lined boards over a cavity, that is not automatic.

Strata: why hooks and screws are cosmetic work

New South Wales strata law sorts owner work into three tiers, and the tier decides who has to agree. Cosmetic work, which includes installing or replacing hooks, nails, screws, handrails, blinds, curtains or built-in wardrobes and painting the interior, needs no approval because it involves no structural change and no waterproofing. Minor renovations, such as installing or removing cupboards or installing or replacing wood, tile or other hard flooring, need a vote at a general meeting carried by more than half the votes cast. Major renovations — work affecting the structure or the exterior, or any change that requires waterproofing — need a special resolution, which fails if more than a quarter of the votes cast are against it.

The qualification is that a scheme can write its own list. By-laws may add work to the cosmetic category, and they may impose conditions, so read the by-laws once when you move in rather than guessing each time. Everything hanging on a wall that separates you from a neighbour is also worth a thought: the lining is yours, but what is behind it may well be common property.

Renting: the minor change your landlord cannot unreasonably refuse

In New South Wales a tenant may generally make changes only if the lease allows it or the landlord gives written permission, but a defined list of minor changes sits above that. Installing or replacing hooks, nails or screws for hanging paintings, picture frames and other similar items is on it, and so is securing furniture to a wall other than a tiled one where that is needed for safe use. Consent for a listed minor change cannot be unreasonably refused, though a landlord may still refuse where it is reasonable to do so.

The list has boundaries worth knowing before you start hanging. It does not apply to properties on the loose-fill asbestos insulation register, to heritage properties, to strata schemes, to residential land lease communities or to social housing. Tenancy law is state law, so a renter in Brisbane, Melbourne or Perth checks their own regulator rather than borrowing the New South Wales answer.

Either way, ask in writing and keep the reply. The reason is not legal theatre: it is that at the end of a tenancy the argument is always about whether the holes were agreed to, and an email settles it in one line.

Hanging systems, and what each one is really for

  • Single hooks with hardened pins, which suit light frames on plasterboard and leave a hole small enough to fill invisibly.
  • Wall plugs and screws into masonry, the standard answer in double brick, and effectively permanent once drilled.
  • Toggle and cavity fixings, which open out behind a lined wall and are the honest choice for anything with real weight on plasterboard.
  • Track and rail systems hung from a single line of fixings near the ceiling, which let a whole wall of art be rearranged without new holes — the usual answer in a rental or a strata unit.
  • Two-point hanging with D-rings and cord, which keeps a wide frame level and stops it drifting every time a door slams.
  • French cleats, where a batten on the wall carries a matching batten on the frame, used for heavy mirrors and large canvases.
  • Security fittings for works that need to stay put, common in hallways and shared entries.

The wall decides the hardware

  • Plasterboard on timber studs: light frames go anywhere, heavy pieces go on a stud or on a cavity fixing rated for the load.
  • Plasterboard on steel studs: the fixing has to suit thin steel, and a heavy piece is best hung from a rail rather than fought into the frame.
  • Double brick and solid masonry: reliable and unforgiving, so mark out the whole arrangement in paper templates before drilling anything.
  • Solid plaster over masonry in older homes: brittle at the surface and prone to blowing out around a hole, so it wants a slow drill and a sharp bit.
  • Lath and plaster: hollow, uneven and easily cracked, and much happier with a picture rail than with fixings driven into it.
  • Autoclaved aerated concrete panel: takes purpose-made anchors and dislikes ordinary masonry plugs.
  • Any lining in a house where the material is unknown: stop, and have it identified before abrading, cutting or drilling.

How a professional hang is planned

  • The arrangement is laid out on the floor first, then transferred to the wall with paper templates or tape, so the composition is agreed before a hole exists.
  • Centre height is set from the eye rather than the ceiling, which matters in Australian houses where ceiling heights vary from room to room.
  • Each frame is weighed in the hand and matched to a fixing, rather than everything getting the same hook.
  • Fixing points are checked against where wiring and services are likely to run, especially above powerpoints and switches.
  • Levelling is done with a level, not by eye, and wide frames are hung on two points so they stay level.
  • Bumpers or felt pads go on the bottom corners to keep frames off the paint and stop them walking out of true.
  • Offcuts, dust and spent fixings are cleaned up, and any surplus holes are filled before the hanger leaves.

Common picture-hanging mistakes in Australian homes

  • Hanging too high, which is the single most common error and looks worst in rooms with high ceilings.
  • Using one hook for a wide frame, so it tilts every time the front door closes.
  • Relying on adhesive strips for anything heavy, especially in a warm room or on a wall in summer sun.
  • Fixing into plasterboard alone for a mirror, which usually survives long enough for everyone to forget it was a bad idea.
  • Hanging works in direct sun through a large west-facing window, which fades paper and pigment faster than most people expect.
  • Putting art on a wall that is damp, before working out why it is damp.
  • Forgetting that a strata scheme's by-laws may add conditions even to work the law treats as cosmetic.

Keeping the wall and the works in good order

  • Check heavy pieces once a year, especially anything hung above a bed, a cot or a lounge.
  • Re-level wide frames after any work on the floor or the wall nearby.
  • Keep framed works off walls that get condensation in winter, because moisture behind the glass is what foxes paper.
  • Fill and touch up redundant holes as you go rather than at the end of a tenancy, when there are suddenly forty of them.
  • Photograph the arrangement before taking it down for painting, which saves the whole layout being reinvented.
  • If a fixing has moved or the plaster around it has crumbled, move the hook rather than driving a bigger screw into the same damaged hole.

Picture & Art Hanging: frequently asked questions

Do I need owners corporation approval to hang pictures in a strata unit?

In New South Wales, no. Installing or replacing hooks, nails, screws, handrails, blinds, curtains or built-in wardrobes is listed as cosmetic work, which needs no approval because it does not affect the structure and does not involve waterproofing. Your scheme can add to the cosmetic list or attach conditions through its by-laws, so read them once. Work that goes further — installing or replacing hard flooring, for instance — is a minor renovation and needs a general meeting vote instead.

Can my landlord stop me putting up picture hooks?

In a New South Wales tenancy, installing or replacing hooks, nails or screws for hanging paintings, picture frames and other similar items is a listed minor change, and a landlord cannot unreasonably refuse consent for it. They can refuse where it is reasonable to do so, and the list does not cover properties on the loose-fill asbestos insulation register, heritage properties, strata schemes, residential land lease communities or social housing. Ask in writing and keep the reply, because that email is what settles the conversation at the end of the lease.

How heavy is too heavy for plasterboard?

It is less about a number than about what the fixing reaches. A light frame on a hardened pin hook is fine on plasterboard. Anything with real weight — a mirror, a large canvas, a framed work with glass — should land on a stud, on a purpose-made cavity fixing rated for the load, or on a cleat or rail that spreads the load across several fixings. A heavy piece over a bed or a cot is the one case where it is worth being conservative rather than clever.

What is the best way to hang art if I do not want holes everywhere?

A track or rail system. One line of fixings near the ceiling carries cords or wires that the frames hang from, and the arrangement can then be changed as often as you like without touching the wall again. It is the standard answer in rentals and strata units for exactly that reason, and it also suits older walls in solid plaster or lath and plaster, which do not enjoy repeated drilling.

Is there anything I should check before drilling into an older wall?

Two things. What is behind it — wiring runs through wall cavities, and NSW electrical safety guidance warns to take care when sawing, nailing or drilling into walls — and what the lining itself is made of. In an older Australian home, if nobody can tell you what a sheet lining is, have it identified before you abrade, cut or drill it. Neither check takes long, and both are cheaper than the alternative.

Sources

  1. NSW Government: Strata renovation rules
  2. NSW Government: Making changes to a rental property
  3. NSW Government: Avoiding electrical accidents

Written by the LokalMatch editorial team. Last reviewed 22 September 2026. How we write and check our guides

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What affects the cost of picture hanging

Prices depend on the details of your project. We only publish price ranges when they’re backed by real LokalMatch quote data or reliable sources. Until then, here’s what usually changes the price:

  • Number and type of tasks
  • Time needed and any minimum visit charge
  • Materials and parts
  • Wall type and what's being mounted or hung
  • Height and access

How to compare handymen before you hire

  • Describe all the small jobs up front so the handyman can bring the right tools and give you a realistic estimate.
  • Ask whether they charge by the hour, by the job or with a minimum visit fee.
  • For anything involving wiring, gas or new plumbing, use a licensed trade instead of a general handyman.
  • Check that they carry liability insurance, especially for work on ladders or on the exterior.
  • Ask whether they supply materials or whether you should buy them ahead of time.

Questions to ask handymen before you hire

  • Do you charge by the hour or by the job, and is there a minimum?
  • Can you do all of the jobs on my list, or will some need a licensed trade?
  • Will you bring the materials, or should I buy them?
  • Are you insured if something is damaged while you're working?
  • How do you handle it if a job takes longer than expected?

Picture hanging permits and local rules

Some picture hanging work needs a permit or has to meet local bylaws. Rules vary by municipality, so ask your pro whether a permit is needed and who will apply for it — and check with your city or town if you’re unsure.

Permits and licensing

Guides about picture hanging

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