The first stamp: reversibility
This measures one thing: how much work it takes to undo a change before you move out. It has nothing to do with money — it's about the workload in your last fortnight in the place.
Reversibility: low
Comes out in five minutes, leaves no trace. Examples: a floor lamp, a rug, a tension rod, a magnetic rail, furniture that just stands against the wall. With this tier you can do whatever you like.
Reversibility: medium
Needs one work session (half a day or so) and some basic tools or supplies. Examples: removing damage-free hooks properly and dealing with the residue, taking up click-lock flooring, peeling off removable wallpaper. Slot these into the 14-day move-out plan and nothing goes wrong.
Reversibility: high
Needs professional tools, outside help or several days' work to undo. This site almost never recommends anything at this tier; where it comes up at all, there's always a clear alternative alongside it. When you see "high", stop and ask once: is it worth it?
The second stamp: deposit risk
This measures the chance that getting it wrong — through bad technique or bad luck — costs you money off the deposit. It's a separate thing from reversibility: some changes are easy to undo but expensive to get wrong.
Deposit risk: low
Even done badly, it won't touch the condition of the place. Examples: fabric, lamps, furniture against the wall. The worst case is that something looks off — nothing for the landlord to charge for.
Deposit risk: medium
Fine when done right, but there's a clear failure mode that leaves a mark. Examples: adhesive lifting paint off an old wall, a cheap mat staining the floor, balcony decking blocking the drain. The article spells out the failure mode and the steps to prevent it — follow those and the risk drops back to low.
Deposit risk: high
Likely to leave an irreversible mark, or it touches safety and the rules. Examples: drilling into walls, rewiring yourself, fixed additions to a balcony. The site's position is always the same: don't — find an alternative.
Using the two stamps together
When I'm weighing up a fix, my own rule of thumb runs like this:
| Combination | What I do |
|---|---|
| Low reversibility × low risk | Just do it, no thinking required. |
| Medium reversibility × low risk | Do it, but book the undo time into the move-out schedule. |
| Low–medium reversibility × medium risk | Read the failure mode in the article first, then follow the prevention steps (test-stick, test-lay, keep a record). |
| Anything × high risk | Stop. Go back to the article for an alternative, or live with it as is. |
One last thing: the stamps assume an average place and an average landlord. If your agreement has special clauses, or the walls are in poor shape, go by what you see in front of you — and the "photograph it, read the agreement, say hello" routine from the first lesson always comes before any stamp.