Halloween is Saturday, and from here the decorating season runs straight through New Year's. A few smart choices now keep your rental festive, your home safe, and your security deposit right where it belongs: coming back to you.
Decorating a rental isn't complicated, but it's easy to get wrong. A string of lights stapled to the siding, a wreath hung from a nail in a door, or a candle left burning in a jack-o'-lantern can each turn into a repair bill, a lease problem, or something worse. None of that means skipping the fun. It means decorating like someone who plans to get every dollar of their deposit back.
Here's a practical guide for renters, from the front porch to move-out day.
Start With Your Lease
Before you buy a single hook, read your lease. Many leases address things like alterations, nails and holes in walls, exterior decorations, and what can be attached to the building. If you rent in a community with an HOA or shared common areas, there may be extra rules about what can go on balconies, doors, and lawns.
If the lease doesn't say, ask your landlord or property manager. A two-line email asking "Is it OK if I hang lights along the porch railing with plastic clips?" takes a minute and gives you a written answer. That's worth far more than guessing.
Walls and Doors: Decorate Without Holes
The usual decorating damage is holes, marks, and peeled paint, and all three are avoidable.
Use removable adhesive hooks and strips, and follow the weight limits on the package. Test one in a hidden spot first, since some paint finishes don't hold up well to adhesive.
Remove them the right way. Follow the package directions. Many removable strips release when you stretch the tab slowly straight down along the wall, and yanking them outward is how paint comes off with them.
Use over-the-door hangers for wreaths instead of nails or screws in the door.
Skip tape on painted walls. Even painter's tape can lift paint if it stays up for weeks.
Ask before you nail. Some landlords are fine with a few small nail holes. Others aren't. Your lease and your landlord decide that, not the internet.
Outside: Porches, Railings, and Yards
Never staple or nail into siding, trim, or shingles. Use plastic light clips made for gutters and railings, or freestanding decorations.
Stay off the roof. Climbing a roof to hang lights is dangerous, and in many rentals it's simply not allowed. Keep exterior decorating at ground level or on railings you can reach safely.
Use outdoor-rated cords and lights for anything outside, and keep cords out of walkways. The NFPA notes that many October yards end up looking like a spiderweb of electrical cords, and those are trip hazards nobody wants.
Be careful with stakes. Inflatables and yard signs often anchor with stakes. Keep them shallow and away from sprinkler lines and other things you can't see, and ask first if you're not sure what's under the lawn.
Keep the walk clear when it snows. Decorations along a sidewalk shouldn't make shoveling harder. In Rapid City, RCMC 12.12.090 puts the duty to keep sidewalks free of snow and ice on the owner or person in possession of the property, and your lease will say who handles it at your home. Either way, a clear path matters more than a perfect display.
Candles and Jack-o'-Lanterns
This is the part that matters most.
According to the NFPA, from 2020 to 2024 there was an average of 835 home structure fires per year that began with decorations, causing an annual average of 3 civilian deaths, 29 civilian injuries, and $18 million in direct property damage. Nearly half of those fires happened because decorations were too close to a heat source, like a candle or hot equipment, and about one-third were started by candles.
The fix is simple:
Use battery-operated candles or glow sticks in jack-o'-lanterns and luminaries.
Keep decorations away from heat sources, including light bulbs, space heaters, and the furnace area.
Never leave a real candle burning unattended. The CPSC recommends keeping burning candles in sight, away from flammable items, putting them out before leaving the room, and using flameless candles whenever possible.
Keep exits clear. The NFPA reminds families to keep decorations from blocking escape routes and to make sure smoke alarms are working.
A scorched windowsill or melted carpet is a deposit problem. A fire is a life problem. Flameless candles solve both.
Halloween Night Itself
If you'll be handing out candy, a little prep makes the night safer for everyone who walks up to your door.
Light the path. Turn on the porch light and any walkway lights, and replace burned-out bulbs before Saturday. Trick-or-treaters in costumes and masks don't always see steps well.
Clear the steps. Move pumpkins, props, and cords off the stairs and out of the walkway. A dramatic display along the edges is fine. An obstacle course isn't.
Think about pets. A doorbell ringing every few minutes can stress a dog or cat, and an open door is an easy escape route. A quiet room for the evening helps.
Know what's covered. If a guest is hurt or your belongings are damaged, your landlord's policy generally doesn't protect your things. That's what renters insurance is for, and the holidays are a good time to make sure yours is active.
Lights, Cords, and Outlets
Holiday lights are where electrical safety and deposits overlap.
Don't overload outlets. The CPSC advises never overloading electrical outlets and never stringing together more than three sets of incandescent lights.
Inspect strands before you hang them. Frayed wires, cracked sockets, and loose connections belong in the trash, not on the porch.
Turn decorations off when you leave or go to bed. A simple outlet timer makes this automatic.
Don't run cords under rugs, through door jambs, or across walkways. Pinched cords wear out and become hazards.
If an outlet sparks, feels warm, or stops working, unplug everything on it and report it to your landlord. That's a maintenance call, not a DIY project.
Trees and Greenery
Water a live tree every day, as the CPSC recommends, and look for the "fire resistant" label on artificial trees.
Keep trees and greenery away from heaters, vents, and fireplaces.
Protect the floor. A tree stand that leaks or a pot with no saucer can stain carpet or warp a wood floor. A tray and a waterproof mat underneath are cheap insurance.
Plan the exit. Know how you'll get a live tree out without dragging needles and sap across the carpet.
Taking It All Down
The deposit is won or lost when decorations come down.
Set a take-down date. Mid-January is a reasonable target, and some leases or HOAs set their own.
Remove adhesive slowly and correctly, and wipe off any residue with a damp cloth.
Check for damage before you call it done. Look for small holes, marks, or scuffs, and tell your landlord about anything you find. Don't patch or paint without asking. A mismatched patch can cost more than the original hole.
Take photos when you're finished. A quick set of dated pictures shows you left things the way you found them.
What the Law Says About Your Deposit
Every state handles security deposits a little differently. This is general information, not legal advice, and laws vary by state.
South Dakota. Under SDCL 43-32-24, a landlord has 21 days after the tenancy ends and the tenant provides a mailing address to return the deposit or give a written statement of the specific reasons for keeping part of it. The landlord may withhold only what's reasonably necessary to cover unpaid rent and other amounts due under an agreement, or to restore the home to its condition at the start of the tenancy, ordinary wear and tear excepted. Within 45 days, the tenant can request an itemized accounting.
Montana. Under MCA 70-25-201, a landlord may deduct for damage caused by the tenant, unpaid rent and other charges, and actual cleaning costs, with written notice required before cleaning charges are deducted. Under MCA 70-25-202, the landlord generally has 30 days to provide a written list of charges with any refund, or 10 days if there's no damage, cleaning, or unpaid rent.
The phrase that matters most for decorators is "ordinary wear and tear." A faint mark from normal living usually falls there. Holes from nails you weren't allowed to use, paint pulled off by tape, or a burned windowsill usually don't. For more, see our guide to moving out the right way and getting your full deposit back.
Why This Matters
Decorating should make a rental feel like home. The renters who enjoy it most aren't the ones with the biggest displays. They're the ones who checked the lease, used the right hooks, kept candles flameless, and took everything down carefully.
That keeps the home safe, keeps the landlord happy, and keeps the deposit coming back to you.
Happy Halloween, and happy decorating.
Not sure whether something is allowed at your rental? Ask your landlord before you hang it. A quick question now beats a deduction later. Have questions about renting in South Dakota or Montana? Let's talk. Blair Allen Property Management serves owners across South Dakota and Montana.
Chris Twiggs
President, Blair Allen Property Management
📞 605-545-1218
✉️ chris@blairallen.com