QUESTION: My landlord won’t let us drill holes in the wall for bookshelves so I went out and bought a free-standing book case. Getting it home, I realised it has a safety warning telling me to fix it to the wall (plug and screw provided) so it doesn’t fall over.
With a three-year-old running around this seems like a sensible precaution but the landlord won’t have a bar of it. What do I do – get rid of the books or the kid? – Shelved, Mosman.
ANSWER: Either solution seems too drastic to contemplate and if you could just keep the kid away from the bookcase for a month or so, changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will come into effect and they should allow you a bit more leeway.
Under them, you will still need your landlord’s written approval before you can start drilling holes and hammering in picture hooks but this permission can’t be unreasonably refused.
In other words, if you promise in writing that you will repair any damage, and considering this is a safety issue, then you’d have a very good case to take to Fair Trading if the landlord still refused. Meanwhile load the bottom of the bookcase for stability.