Short answer: The first question is not “with what” but “rented or owned”. Tenants need removable solutions: tile film, tile stickers and loosely laid click flooring can be removed without residue and need no permission. Tile paint, skim-coat plaster and tile-over-tile change the flat permanently – for those the landlord's consent is needed, in writing. For floor tiles, the simplest solution is a floating vinyl or design floor: no adhesive, done in a weekend, gone again when you move out. And one point applies everywhere: in the shower and in the direct splash zone, none of these solutions has any place.
First: what are you actually allowed to do?
The most common search on this topic comes from a rented flat – and there, removability decides everything else.
Changes that can be removed without residue when you move out count as normal use under the tenancy. Peel off tile film, lift click flooring, remove a wall decal: you can do that without asking, as long as nothing damaged is left behind.
As soon as the condition cannot be restored without interfering with the fabric, you need the landlord's consent – beforehand and in writing. That covers tile paint (which practically cannot be removed again), skim-coating, tile-over-tile and anything that involves drilling. A verbal promise will not help you when you move out.
A middle way that often works: ask the landlord about a contribution to the costs. Anyone who visually upgrades a flat from the eighties raises its value – not infrequently the material is paid for if you do the work.
Covering floor tiles – without gluing
On the floor the starting position is more favourable than on the wall: there are several solutions that manage entirely without adhesive and still lie securely.
1. Click vinyl or design flooring
The best solution for tenants. The planks are laid floating, connect only to each other and touch the tiles only through their own weight. A prerequisite is a level substrate – deep joints from about 4 mm wide must first be filled with levelling compound, otherwise they show through the covering after a while. Build-up height around 5 to 8 mm plus impact sound underlay. Keep an eye on doors and transitions.
2. Carpet tiles or a large rug
The quickest and cheapest option, done in an hour and reversible at any time. Ideal for living rooms and bedrooms, unsuitable in the bathroom and kitchen because of the moisture. Carpet tiles with an adhesive backing can be replaced individually if an area suffers.
3. Floor tile stickers
Self-adhesive films in tile format, specially for floors with a hard-wearing top layer. They work well on smooth, large-format tiles with narrow joints – with deep joints they sink in over time and the edges come away. Before sticking, the surface must be absolutely free of grease. When you move out they can usually be removed with heat, but adhesive residues often remain.
Covering wall tiles – removable
4. Tile film and tile stickers
Self-adhesive film, either as individual stickers in tile format or as a sheet over the whole tiled splashback area. Waterproof, wipeable, available in many designs. The surface must be thoroughly degreased beforehand – kitchen grease and care-product residues are the most common reason for edges coming away. Over deep joints the joint pattern shows through; anyone who does not want that fills the joints beforehand.
5. Splashback of acrylic glass or composite panel
A cut-to-size panel of acrylic glass, glass or aluminium composite in front of the tiled splashback – the usual route for kitchen splashbacks. It can be bonded on with a suitable assembly adhesive or, if it is to stay removable, clamped via narrow profiles at the top and bottom edge. With transparent acrylic glass, a stress-crack-free adhesive belongs there – normal adhesives attack the material and leave fine cracks.
6. Perforated panel or wood cladding
A perforated panel of stainless steel or plastic in front of the tiles brings order and looks good at once – ladles, pots and utensils hang on hooks. A plywood or birch panel creates a Scandinavian tone. Both are fixed via narrow battens; place the drill holes in the joints, not in the tiles, then the holes are hardly visible later and the tile does not crack.
7. Wall decals, pictures, shelves
Not every surface has to disappear – sometimes it is enough to redirect the eye. Wall decals can be removed without residue and, in a washable version, used above the hob. A deliberately placed shelf or picture ledge takes much of the effect away from an ugly tiled splashback without you touching it.
Permanent solutions – only if you own it or have permission
8. Painting tiles
Tile paint changes the colour, not the structure – joints and tile format remain visible. The procedure: degrease thoroughly, sand, apply a special tile primer, then two coats at least twelve hours apart. In wet areas a sealing coat goes over it, which cures for about a week. Important: tile paint practically cannot be removed again. In a rented flat without written permission, this is an expensive idea.
9. Skim-coating and painting tiles
Anyone who wants a smooth wall instead of a tiled splashback skim-coats the tiles. First, all silicone joints must be removed completely – no filler adheres to silicone. Then bonding primer on the glaze, pre-fill the joints, then pull the surface with self-levelling filler, sand, prime and paint. Laborious, but the result looks as if the wall had never been tiled. Unsuitable for shower areas.
10. Laying tile over tile
The most durable solution if the build-up height allows it. The old covering must be firmly bonded over its full area – tap every tile, remove those that sound hollow and level out the spot. Then bonding primer, then laying in a thin bed with a tile adhesive of class C2. In the bathroom, waterproofing also belongs in between; how to do that is explained in our guide Waterproofing a bathroom with liquid membrane.
The options compared
| Solution | Effort | Removable | For tenants | Wet area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floating click flooring | medium | yes | without asking | conditionally |
| Carpet, carpet tiles | low | yes | without asking | no |
| Floor tile stickers | low | usually with residues | without asking | conditionally |
| Tile film on the wall | low | largely | without asking | no |
| Splashback panel clamped | medium | yes | without asking | conditionally |
| Splashback panel bonded | medium | no | permission needed | conditionally |
| Perforated panel, wood cladding | medium | yes, drill holes remain | permission advisable | no |
| Tile paint | high | no | only with permission | with sealing coat |
| Skim-coating and painting | high | no | only with permission | no |
| Tile over tile | very high | no | only with permission | yes, with waterproofing |
Which floor covering suits tiles?
On the floor it is not taste alone that decides but the room. This overview shows what belongs where.
| Covering | Build-up height | Bathroom, kitchen | Removable | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Click vinyl (LVT, SPC) | 4–8 mm | yes | yes | moisture-insensitive, warm underfoot, quiet |
| Design flooring to be glued | 2–5 mm | yes | no | only with permission, very low |
| Laminate | 7–12 mm | no | yes | core board swells in wet conditions |
| Click cork | 10–11 mm | conditionally | yes | warm and quiet, buy sealed |
| Carpet tiles | 5–8 mm | no | yes | individually replaceable |
| Rug, loosely laid | variable | no | yes | cheapest solution, instantly reversible |
| Floor tile stickers | < 2 mm | conditionally | with residues | needs narrow joints |
Laminate does not belong in the bathroom, not even as a temporary solution. Its HDF core board swells even with little standing moisture and does not go back. For damp rooms only vinyl, sealed cork or tiles come into question.
Build-up height: the underrated problem
Every covering that goes onto the tiles adds height – and that takes its revenge in four places.
Doors. A door leaf needs clearance at the bottom. With 8 mm build-up it usually does not yet scrape, with 12 mm including impact sound underlay almost always. Doors can be shortened, but in a rented flat that is no longer a removable intervention – written consent is needed here.
Transitions to other rooms. Where the new covering ends, a step arises. Transition profiles compensate cleanly up to about 10 mm, beyond that it becomes a trip edge.
Radiators and skirting boards. Radiator connections near the floor and existing tile skirtings can block the covering at the edge. Check this beforehand with a folding rule, not by eye.
Kitchen and bathroom furniture. If only the free floor area is covered and not continued under the furniture, a visible edge arises later when rearranging – and the plinth of the fitted kitchen is suddenly too low.
Levelling joints – when it is necessary
Deep or wide tile joints show through thin coverings over time. As a rule of thumb: from about 4 mm width or 2 mm depth, the joints should be levelled before laying.
For small areas it is enough to fill the joints with repair filler and pull them smooth. For larger rooms a self-levelling compound in a thin layer is the quicker solution – on tiles it absolutely needs a bonding primer, otherwise it later comes away over the whole area.
For a floating click floor, by the way, this is less critical than for self-adhesive coverings: the planks bridge narrow joints without difficulty, because they connect only to each other.
What it costs
| Solution | Material per m² | Time required |
|---|---|---|
| Rug, loosely laid | low | one hour |
| Tile stickers, tile film | low to medium | half a day per tiled splashback |
| Click vinyl | medium | a weekend for one room |
| Tile paint with primer | medium | two to three days including drying |
| Skim-coating and painting | medium | three to four days |
| Tile over tile | high | several days, expertise needed |
All of these routes are well below the cost of knocking off old tiles. Knocking off adds disposal, substrate remediation, new plaster and restoration of the waterproofing – and in the bathroom the room is unusable in the meantime.
Preparation decides
Whichever you decide on – two work steps are almost always skipped and are almost always the reason when something comes away later.
Degrease, don't just wipe. On kitchen tiles there is a film of grease, in the bathroom a film of soap and care products. Both are invisible and prevent any adhesion. Wash the surface with an alkaline cleaner or methylated spirits, rinse and leave to dry completely.
Remove silicone joints. Nothing adheres to silicone – neither film nor primer, filler or paint. Silicone residues must be cut off mechanically and the remaining layer swollen with a silicone remover and pushed off. How to do this without residue is described in our guide Removing old silicone without residue.
If you cannot get round unevenness – deep joints, chipped edges, height offsets – a levelling or filling compound belongs on first. Every unevenness shows through thin coverings sooner or later.
What does not work in the shower
In the direct splash zone of the shower and around the bathtub, almost all the solutions mentioned here are ruled out. Water gets under films and stickers at the edges, filler and tile paint are not up to the permanent load, and a floating floor does not keep out standing water.
There, there is no way around a proper build-up: waterproofing on the load-bearing substrate, the new covering on top. Anything else only postpones a moisture damage – and that then costs many times the work saved.
Frequently asked questions
May I stick over tiles in a rented flat?
Yes, as long as the original condition can be restored without residue. Tile film and stickers generally fall under this. Tile paint, skim-coat plaster and newly laid tiles do not – for those you need the landlord's written consent.
How can I cover floor tiles without gluing?
With a floating click vinyl or design floor. The planks connect only to each other, the substrate stays untouched. Fill deep joints beforehand with levelling compound so that they do not show through.
Does tile film also hold in the bathroom?
Outside the direct splash zone yes, provided the surface has been thoroughly degreased. In the shower and at the bathtub edge, water gets under the edges – there film is not a permanent solution.
Can you simply paint over tiles?
Not with normal wall paint. A tile primer is needed as a bonding bridge and a tile paint on top, in wet areas a sealing coat in addition. Without this build-up the paint flakes off as soon as it gets wet or someone bumps against it.
What does it cost to cover ugly tiles?
The range is wide. Tile film and stickers are in the low double-digit range per square metre, tile paint in the middle, a click floor above that depending on quality. All three stay well below the cost of knocking off old tiles, remediating the substrate and tiling anew.
Do the joints show through in the new covering?
With thin, self-adhesive coverings yes, if the joints are deeper than about 2 mm or wider than 4 mm. A floating click floor, by contrast, bridges them without difficulty, because it does not adhere to the substrate but merely lies on it.
Can I lay vinyl directly on tiles?
Click vinyl yes, provided the substrate is level and load-bearing and deep joints have been levelled. Design flooring to be glued over the full area, by contrast, needs a smooth, primed substrate and can no longer be removed without residue.
How do I get tile film off again?
Warm it with a hairdryer or heat gun on a low setting and peel it off slowly at a shallow angle. Adhesive residues can be removed with petroleum spirit or a label remover. The longer the film has been stuck on and the warmer the room was, the more stubborn the residue becomes.
What about mould behind the cladding?
A justified concern, especially with panels in front of the tiled splashback. As long as the wall is dry and no moisture gets behind the cladding, nothing happens. It becomes critical when water can get in and cannot dry out – so do not fit cladding in the splash zone of the shower, and with kitchen splashbacks close the connections to the worktop cleanly with silicone.
Is it worth renewing the joints instead of covering everything?
Surprisingly often. Many tiles look old mainly because the joints have turned grey or mouldy. Cleaning the joints or refreshing them with grout paint takes an afternoon and a few euros – and sometimes the whole discussion becomes unnecessary afterwards.
Do I have to restore everything when I move out?
What was fitted without permission, yes. For approved changes it depends on the agreement – record in writing whether you have to restore or whether the change may stay in the flat. That one sentence spares the discussion when you move out.
