Mounting a TV in a dorm room

Every August the same question comes up: can the TV go on the wall? In a university residence hall the answer is almost always no drilling. In an off-campus apartment it depends on the lease. Here's how to handle both.

Residence halls

Housing agreements at most universities prohibit nails, screws and anything that leaves holes, and charge for damage at move-out. Many dorm walls are also painted concrete block, which can't be patched invisibly. Check your own housing contract — it's the only rule that counts — but plan on not drilling.

No-drill setups that work

• On the dresser or desk, strapped down. An anti-tip strap from the TV to the furniture keeps it from being knocked off in a crowded room.
• A floor stand with a mount. A weighted base and a pole with a VESA bracket puts the TV at wall-mount height without touching the wall. Good for lofted beds.
• A tabletop stand with height adjustment to raise the screen above desk clutter.
• A monitor arm clamped to the desk for TVs around 32 inches and under — check the arm's weight rating.

What not to trust

• Adhesive strips and hooks for a TV. They're rated for a few pounds of static load on smooth paint, not a 15-pound screen on textured block in a humid room.
• Leaning a TV on a shelf above a bed.
• Over-the-door hangers improvised into TV mounts.

Lofted beds

If your bed is lofted, the TV usually goes on the desk beneath or on a floor stand at the foot. Don't hang anything heavy from the bed frame.

Size for a dorm

Rooms are small and you sit close. A 32 to 43-inch TV is plenty; it's also easier to carry up the stairs and to move each May.

Off-campus apartments

Student apartments and rental houses are different. Many leases allow wall-mounting as long as holes are patched at move-out; some require written permission; a few forbid it. Ask the property manager in writing, keep the reply, and see our renter's guide for what to ask.

When it is allowed, a professional mount into studs leaves four small holes behind the TV that are simple to fill, and we can plan it with move-out in mind.

Moving out

Take photos of the wall before and after. For patching, see filling the holes after a TV mount comes down.

Sharing a room

Agree on where the TV goes and who's taking it home. A stand that's easy to split up beats a setup that depends on one person's furniture.

For apartments that allow it, mounting labor for TVs up to 42 inches is $94.