Tension rods can work, but judging from the photos, you'd need to take out the blinds first. Is that also against the rules?

I had the same issue. The landlord installed tension poles for curtain rods, and they are working out fine. An example is http://www.umbra.com/ustore/product/238511/c005/coretto_tension_rod.html

The only downside I've found that I could not hang super-heavy curtains on them. I've hung sheers and curtains with no trouble, but my heavy roman shades don't work.

Move.

What about using the hooks by 3M and a curtain rod. They specifically market those hooks to leave no surface residue and then you can by a simple curtain rod that is thin enough to lay into it?
http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Command/home/us_en/products/hooks/
Good luck! :)

Use a few 3M hooks to hold up a lightweight rod instead of the screw in ones. The curtains will cover the hooks and you can remove them from the wall with no one the wiser!

I have windows that go all the way to the ceiling so I have a similar problem. My solutions was to use a tension rod (shower curtain rod) in the windows. If you took the blinds out, then you might have space for it. I also hemmed my curtains so that they end where my windows end. You don't get that long drapey look, but it still works!

You could mount them from the ceiling.

I don't see how removing the blinds could be against the lease, as long as you store them properly and put them back when you move out.

I agree with other posters - and I've DONE it - use the largest 3M hooks - the metal ones, which cost around $9 apiece. You can get a lightweight rod from Target for around $20 (I think I have the cafe rod - it looks like brushed nickel, but really it's plastic or something).

The rod is *just* small enough to fit within the hooks. C'est parfait! (well, as perfect as it can be when you're rigging a curtain w/out putting holes in a wall.)

It seems like an excessive request by your landlord. I say, install curtain rods, then patch and paint when you move out.
Worst case scenario the landlord keeps a portion of your security deposit.

Easy. I had this problem in college. Just get a regular curtain rod and those jumbo 3M wall hooks. You can get the fancy metal-looking kind if you want, but whenever I did this I just made sure that the curtain rod would rest in the wall hook, and hid the hook behind the fabric by hanging the rod with the curtain on the hook. looks good, and you can't tell there are hooks instead of proper hardware. You can do multiple rods if you want a layered look, or put em on the same rod. If they're heavy curtains, just add more hooks along the rod. Easy peasy. Hope this helps!

If you have blinds like in the photo above, there is a super easy way to do it. In my old apartment, we wanted to hang a sheer white curtain and a heavier red curtain. When you take the blinds out, leave the two end holders they snap into. We went to the hardware store and found a metal pole whose diameter would fit in those holders. The hardware store cut it down to size for free. We hung the sheers on that metal pole, which fits in the blinds' holders, and used a cheap shower curtain tension rod to hold up the red curtains in front. No holes !

I agree with bepsf. Move. Seems like an outlandish request to me.

ikea's got 1.99 & 3.99 curtain rods. both are light but the 3.99 is very light. much cheaper than the $20 @ target

Wow, that's pretty unreasonable. But moving isn't really a helpful suggestion; you moved there for a reason, assumably knowing the landlord would make that request.
The 3M hooks are fantastic; they work really well without any damage to the walls.

Louisa, I really feel for you. I have to agree with Bepsf and Plink. Move.

If they are that strict about something as normal (and even expected) as picture frames, then there is no telling what else they will try to get away with, especially when it's time to get your deposits back. I've had a LFH (landlord from hell) and they just aren't worth it no matter how cheap the rent or how nice the location. You will end up shelling out more money to this LFH during the life of the lease then you currently realize.

and another quick comment - this is why I scraped and scraped to save enough for a downpayment to purchase. I've had 2 good landlords in my life. The rest have all been money grubbing @sses. I'm in my 40s so could say I've almost seen it all.

I would super glue a velco strip to the wall and stick the other side to your curtains.

"It's not nails..."

I can't understand why your landlord wouldn't want curtain hardware installed anyway. Holes can be easily patched as well. I could see him/her not wanting each tenant to drill new holes into the wall, but if there was a simple rod system installed, each tenant could use their own curtains....

BUT, if he won't budge, I've seen the 3M thing online before.

Does anybody have ideas for utilizing PICTURE MOLDING to hang curtains?

My suggestion would have been to hammer into the molding at the top of the window frames, whose gonna see it? But that's not very well-intentioned. I'm glad I read all the suggestions, though, because the existence of those 3M hooks were unknown to me until now. I mean, I knew about them, I just didn't think they would actually work. My problem isn't the landlord, it's the plaster and lath walls that never met a screw anchor it couldn't swallow up whole. Velcro works, but it seems like a silly way to hang things, not to mention the marks it will leave when it falls off.

I was going to suggest the same thing. 3M would do well to market a rod and hook system, it seems lots of people have this problem...

Thanks everyone for all the great suggestions. I had not heard about the 3M DYI setup. I will try that out this weekend. Can anyone confirm it won't peal up the paint when you take it off?

About moving, yes I wanted to move the moment I realized how obsessively strict the Landlord was. I'm a trained designer and have worked with metals/wood for years now. The first time the landlord questioned my ability to fix some shelving, I just laughed. Seriously, if she gave me some leeway to make improvements I bet she could raise the rent by at least a couple hundred with the next tenant. C'est la vie.

The location/parking/sunlight/backyard are all perfect, so for now I'm going to live with the 'rules'. It seems in Boston getting the ultimate apartment rental is like winning the lottery.

Will post photo's...hoping it works :)

You could also use 3 vertical tension poles and run rods between them using t-fittings for pipes to create curtain rods. The vertical rods would be hidden behind your drapes.

Also, be prepared for your landlord to still freak over the 3M hooks. She probably won't believe they won't damage the walls until she sees them removed in front of her eyes (fingers crossed, blood pressure high...) In my experience, even the nicest landlords all have their special "thing" that they irrationally fixate on.

I'd ask your landlord to install some rods of his/her choosing.

Wal Mart has some tension rods that look more like regular rods. There is a special contraption that goes inside the frame, so the rod can be placed in a normal spot outside the frame.

my bay window looks a lot like yours and what i did, so as to not ruin the molding around the window is use thumbtacks to hang the $3 ikea rod and lightweight sheers. i hung them inside the window, just above the blinds.

its been up a few weeks now and it hasnt fallen!

A note about the 3M hooks -it's a great suggestion, and I've used the 3M products all over my apartment, but sometimes they fall down. I've got pictures without glass in the frames all over my apartment due to this. :-( Even after cleaning the wall with alcohol (as recommended), the humidity in my poorly insulated, drafty, 1920's southern apartment literally just melts the 3M off the wall. Particularly if you have high gloss paint, as is often the case on window frames.

Don't put anything valuable under the curtains, but maybe the humidity in Boston isn't as bad as south eastern Virginia? Good luck!

Out of sheer laziness, I've taken ribbon, threaded it around the main support of the blinds and tied a curtain rod up (at each end and one in the middle, where it's a long window). I actually kind of like the look - everything hangs flush to the window. I'll try to take a picture tonight if it would help.

It's not unusual for me, a landlord, to look for ways to improve my rentals. I'm sure that some landlords are real doozies, but know that many of us have "weird" rules because of awful things we've dealt with, things we don't care to deal with again. If you haven't already, you might ask your landlord if s/he'll install good, landlord-approved rods which you'll pay for and which you're willing to leave when you move out. Other than that, no matter how silly or weird you think your landlord's requests are, you've signed a contract, which I appreciate that you're respecting. If you move to Texas, you can rent from me.

"Seriously, if she gave me some leeway to make improvements I bet she could raise the rent by at least a couple hundred with the next tenant. C'est la vie. "

I feel your pain. Have you tried making the request in a formal letter rather than in person? Even a landlord as stubborn as yours may see the logic of it when its all laid out on paper.

List your previous experience with similar projects, list the things that could use some work in the apartment, and mention how it would increase the value of the unit, especially since you'd just be doing the work for the cost of materials.

I did this with my landlord; it turned out that he saw it as an issue of legal liability and wouldn't budge, but he was clearly pleased to learn that I was a conscientious tenant.

I had a similar landlord for two years- could only hang with special OOK hooks, there was a list of fines for different sized scratches in the wood floors- but he was the best landlord ever- his strictness with me meant he was super helpful in coming over and fixing things ASAP, and that his apartments were super clean. Also, he wasn't too much a stickler on move out (I got my whole deposit back, but I did clean like CRAZY.)

Anyway, I suggest the 3M hooks, or maybe trying to find something OOK makes (as they're strong ceramic-type nails that can hold pretty good weight). Or, I'd ask your landlord. He might be willing to install something. That should probably be your first stop. We were afraid to ask our landlord for something, but she gladly did it, as it was an overall upgrade. You might be pleasantly surprised. The rules are probably that way because someone installed some pretty poorly and it was expensive/tough to fix.

I used the nice metal 3m hooks in my last condo to hang long necklaces. They did peel up the paint and some top layer drywall stuff. I had to patch and paint.

I even left some hooks in the closet that I put up to hang hats on and the landlord took them off himself and in my final walk thru of the condo he deducted b/c it ripped the paint/drywall stuff off.

If at all possible, hang the curtains on the outside of the window (using the many suggestions above) and don't remove the LL's blinds. She'll likely pitch a fit, and you'll have to store the blinds someplace till you move. Plus, those blinds are providing much-needed privacy for a ground-floor room.

After reading puttinbuttin's post, I'd strongly suggest that you try any type of 3M hook on an interior closet wall first. You can discreetly patch and paint that, if needed, without LL finding out. Get ready for her to have kittens the first time she sees curtains in your apartment. You'll probably, right then, need to show her how easily the hooks can be removed (with no damage).

Just curious....why did you buy curtains knowing how anal your landlady is about all this? Since there are already blinds in place, is it worth the potential drama?

3M hooks are a temporary solution - They don't hold up well over the long run.

My boss was dealing w/ similar issues in her apartment - She tried to use the 3M hooks to hang pictures, etc but after a few weeks they would keep falling off the wall, and they weren't even heavy!

Finally, I got some regular picture hooks and pounded them into the wall: When she moves, I'll spackle over them for her.

IMO, Having a lease that states not to hang pictures, etc is simply unreasonable.

I used the jumbo 3M wall hooks and pieces of bamboo - looks snazzy.

Since I scrounged the bamboo for free from a neighbor who was hacking back the overgrowth on his property, and since he cut it down to the sizes I wanted, my only expense was the hooks.

Also - the bamboo is lighter than the tension rods, and if you get gauzy curtains, it's less weight on the 3M hooks. They've been up for 2.5 years now, and it's fairly humid in D.C. in the summertime...

Love 3M hooks! They're brilliant. But sometimes they don't stick and sometimes they'll peel paint. It depends on the surface.

My landlord was an ass about this too. I just drilled anyway and then patched when I moved out. I think she kept $20 or something just to spite me.

I do like the 3M suggestions though, because my new place has adobe walls and I can't drill into them without making a HUGE hole, or using a masonry bit, which I don't have.

regular tension rods or these: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Twist-and-Fit-Decorative-Curtain-Rod-Satin-Nickel/5700361

3M hooks are great, but i did have one fall down. it was like the paper under the paint peeled off under the weight of the hook. but that was one in a grouping of four, and after a year in my very humid bathroom.

give him the bird and drill whatever holes you need, patching and painting over them when you move out. or just move out. I could never justify spending money on a place I wasn't even allowed to hang curtains in!! ridiculous!

Umbra has some double tension rods where one rod fits inside the window and provides the tension, and the second extends out past the window. There are also some other types of no-nail curtain rods on amazon, but don't know how well they work, or in some instances how...
http://www.amazon.com/Umbra-Mission-36-Inch-Tension-Curtain/dp/B001W0YJ6I/ref=pd_sbs_k_2

Don't get on the bad side of your landlord. I'm a landlord and I'm not as strict as yours. The blinds might be there to improve the look of the property (continuity rather than big flowers in one window and Barney in another) from the curb. I furnish them to all my tenants. If you know the landlord won't let you do what you want, you should have kept looking. Hope you can figure something out to suit you both.

my last landlord was totally terrible, too bad we didn't realize it till we said we were going to move out. It was an old brownstone, and when we moved out every thing that had been wrong with the place became our fault (and came out of our deposit!). It seems like the landlord might be a bit nit picky, I would defiantly take lots of pictures so when you move out you wont have as much trouble getting your deposit back. You could also tell the landlord you need curtains and suggest that s/he install the curtain rods so you are not liable.

Those walls look like plaster to me. That's why the landlord won't let you put holes in them - can't just spackle it up when you go b/c the nailing/screwing in makes big chunks of wall fall off. So be careful about that. I'm going to throw something whacky out there and say if all else fails (I'd try tension rods or the 3M hooks first myself) you could always rig something up with velcro using the strip at the top of the blinds or the ridge at the top of the moulding around the windows (maybe your landlord wouldn't notice if the paint gets stripped off up there when you take them down)

Another approach is to use brackets for curtain (not pole) rods that fit over the corners of the molding. You can get them from several places, here is the link to HomeImprovements.
http://www.improvementscatalog.com/home/improvements/58304-instant-curtain-rod-bracket-sets.html

You could optionally screw them in on their top edge if your curtains are heavy (it won't show). Also, your window molding must be less than 3/4" thick.

Babyfishmouth, I also wondered if the walls were plastered. If they are, the OP'd better not even THINK about 3M hooks, they won't come back off without taking a layer of plaster with it. Nails or screws put into the walls by someone who's never dealt with the stuff will just shatter it, possibly making huge cracks someone could never begin to repair on their own.
I say this as both a previous renter and a current landlord of a 1920's era house with plaster walls.

It sounds like the OP has found her solution, but for everyone else, if you are dealing with the real thing, ask your landlord to put up picture molding, you can then hang from that with hooks and rails without damaging the beauty of hundred year old walls. If you need to put in something yourself, use masonry screws and put some tape over the spot you want to penetrate. The tape will help keep the top layer from cracking. That said, some plaster is just too fragile for a DIYer.

Have you tried asking the landlord if HE will install some curtain brackets? He probably doesn't want YOU to do it because you might mess up the walls, but he might be willing to do it himself (or have his maintenance guys do it) so he can ensure it's done properly.

Be careful with plaster too...we had tension rods up in our windows and when we removed them it took a layer of plaster off too.

What about using magnetic paint? You could do a mockup board showing how it looks just like normal paint and works with hooks with strong magnets. Once your landlord sees it, s/he might realize that it's a great solution. After all, you'll be doing the re-painting yourself.

If weight is a concern, I used a combination of smaller, transparent 3M hooks just above the window frame, and used some cute clip/hook combinations from a kitchenware shop to hang a very heavy piece of wool. It's got a really cute vibe, and probably wouldn't work in a formal situation, but has held up really well to heat and the weight of the material.

Do what you want, but be conscientious about it; you are paying THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS to live in the place. And I agree with the poster who suggested they would play games with your security deposit at the end anyway. Nail holes technically aren't even recoverable money-wise when you leave; they're usual wear and tear which isn't part of the security deposit, and even then they've got to provide reasonable receipts. Mass (esp the Boston area) housing departments are VERY STRICT about what can and can't be done by the landlord. And how would the landlord know what kind of curtain rods you're using? I'd put a nannycam in your apt; if they're freaking out about something this stupid, they sound like the type who think they have the right to let themselves into the apt anytime they want. If they get too much in your face, let the housing board know; they'll get slapped down.

Dude. Life is too short to anguish over this. Put some damn holes in the wall and patch them when you leave. You rent the place, you should be afforded some reasonable opportunities to make it livable for yourself.

P.S. I find it's always easier to ask for forgiveness than permission ; )

http://www.improvementscatalog.com/product/code/135848.do?cm_mmc=Froogle-_-WindowFilmandWindowTreatments-_-2010-_-135848&code-macs=MP0WFGL&code=MP0WFGL&mr:trackingCode=73E3FEAF-AA35-DF11-9DA0-002219319097&mr:referralID=NA

These curtain rod brackets mount to the top corner of the moldings leaving no holes in the plaster walls. And it might work better for the sheers to be against the windows with the gray fabric framing the bay opening with the 3M hooks and pole.

I'm about to move into a rental house with the same issue. Landlord really doesn't want holes in the trim and already has mini blinds, which kind of prevent someone from using regular tension rods. I did a little homework and found the levolor twist n' fit tension rods. Due to their design, the blinds won't be in the way. There are plain ones for about 5 bucks and decorative ones for around 10. I haven't bought them yet, but I'd appreciate anyone's input that has used them. Maybe, maybe you could talk the landlord into paying for them; then you'll leave them for the next tenant, preventing them from having to go through what we have. Good Luck!

Here's a rod I found that won't hurt walls hardly at all. They are new and sit on top of the trim but are very strong and attractive. It's about time someone came up with a better mouse trap! http://www.McLeodNine.com/ Good luck with your landlord.

http://www.interiormall.com/cat/nSearchResults.asp

try there clips from interior mall in Arkansas
800-590-5844
they fit of the mini blinds

i found that using shower curtain rods that based on tension/ pressure works. its simple and doesnt cause damage onto the walls..plus no permission needed!

The 3M hooks work only if your curtain is light enough not to pull them off the wall. And remember that you'll have to patch and repaint where the hooks rip the paint off as well. The paint finish on my apt walls is raised like flat stucko, so the sticky side on the back of the hooks don't adhere to my walls at all. If the landlord is that jerky - rest assured, he'll keep your security deposit for repairs if you choose to leave any mark on the wall. The only option you have in order to keep the walls clear is to try to find a small tension shower rod to place inside the window frame, if possible, and hope it is sturdy enough to support a curtain.

I know it sounds crazy not to allow renters to drill holes in the walls to hang fixtures or pictures but many landlords have good reason to have that demand. I rented for 10 yrs. before I bought a home with my husband. Buying property is serious business & requires a great deal of money & time to keep it up. We will be moving soon out of state for work & given the current economic real-estate climate we are forced to rent out our duplex down condo until the market picks up. We have already decided that once we do rent it out we are demanding our renters not drill ANYTHING into the walls. Why you may ask? Because one big reason is we have plaster walls on the 1st level of our home so to drill anything into them can create a great deal of damage if you do not know what you are doing or have experience with plaster. So to simply patch or paint is not always the answer. The second reason is we plan to sell our home at some point & to avoid creating more issues or damage to the property that is one small thing we can do to keep our home from being trashed & not market ready. Remember when you rent you may pay to live there for a specific amount of time but you do not own the space or property or have any sort of responsibility to it as an owner. So the bottom line your landlord is just trying to preserve the owners investment as best as he/she can & you cannot fault them for that.