Changing your shower head as a renter: what you're actually allowed to do

Your shower sputters, the head has been crusted with limescale since the Ice Age and the hose is the color of an old bus ticket. But here's the thing: you rent. Are you even allowed to touch it? Good news: yes, in most cases. As long as you follow a few simple rules. Let's break it down.

What the law says, in plain English

Rules vary from country to country, but the logic is pretty much the same across Europe. In France, for example, the relationship between tenant and landlord is governed by the law of 6 July 1989, which draws a clear line between two things:

• Adjustments: light, reversible changes. You can make them without asking anyone.
• Alterations: work that permanently changes the home (knocking down a wall, swapping a bathtub for a shower, redoing the plumbing). For those, you need your landlord's written consent.

Changing a shower head or a hose is an adjustment. It unscrews by hand, screws back on by hand, and the place stays exactly the same. So you're well within your rights. Still, take a quick look at your lease: if it has a specific clause, better to know about it.

And upkeep, whose job is that?

In France, a 1987 decree lists the “tenant repairs”, meaning the small maintenance jobs that fall on the renter. And guess what's on the list: replacing shower hoses and seals. In other words, swapping a worn-out hose isn't just allowed, it's actually your job.

On the other hand, if the faucet itself leaks because of normal wear or a defect, that's on your landlord. Let them know in writing, and keep a record of your message.

What you can do without asking

• Replace the shower head with another model.
• Change the hose.
• Add a filter that screws in between the faucet and the hose.
• Put up a stick-on shower rail, no drilling.
• Add removable accessories: soap dish, hooks, adhesive shelf.

What do they all have in common? Everything comes off without leaving a trace. That's the golden rule.

What to avoid (or ask about first)

• Drilling into the tiles to mount a rail or a shower column. Holes in the tiles are the number one reason deposits get docked.
• Changing the faucet or the mixer. That's slightly more serious plumbing: ask your landlord first.
• Throwing out the old gear. Bad idea, and we'll tell you why right below.

The move that saves your deposit: keep the old shower head

When you swap out your shower setup, put the old shower head and the old hose in a bag, with a label. On moving day, you've got two options:

• you put the original setup back and take yours with you to your new place;
• you offer to leave your gear for the landlord, if they'd prefer, and have it noted in the move-out inspection report.

Either way, nobody can accuse you of “damaging” anything.

Take photos

Before you take anything apart, snap two or three photos of the shower. They'll be your proof, and your cheat sheet for putting everything back exactly as it was.

How to change your shower head in a few minutes

No need to be a plumber. All you need is a cloth, maybe a pair of pliers wrapped in fabric so you don't scratch anything, and that's it.

1. Turn off the water and let the last drops drain out.
2. Unscrew the hose at the faucet end, then at the shower head end. Counterclockwise, like opening a jar of jam.
3. Check the seal: there should be a small flat rubber ring inside each nut. That's what keeps everything watertight.
4. Screw on the new hose by hand, firmly, without going full lumberjack.
5. Turn the water on and check for leaks. If it drips, tighten it a little quarter turn.

Before you buy, just check that your faucet outlet is the standard 1/2" size (also called G1/2). It's the most common size on showers across Europe.

What about the shower rail?

Often, the real problem isn't the shower head, it's the rail: missing, broken or mounted crooked. Since drilling is a no-go, a stick-on rail is the easiest fix. It holds on tiles, ceramic, glass or smooth stone. One heads-up though: not on paint or wallpaper.

The short version

• Changing a shower head or a hose: you're allowed.
• Drilling or changing the faucet: ask first.
• Keep the old gear and take photos.

That's exactly why we came up with Showrz: a shower kit designed for renters, with an aluminum rail that sticks on with no drilling, a 3-spray shower head, a matching hose and a filter that screws in under the faucet. It all installs in minutes, and it all comes with you on moving day. In nine colors, because there's no reason a rental has to be dull.