Fully Furnished

Sofas, beds, mattresses, dining tables, rugs and dressers carry real prices read at the shop that sells them, with the date on every row. Every other category is still sample data.

Curtains in a rental: what they cost and how to hang them without drilling

Summary

For filtered light, two white Room Essentials sheer panels, each 60 x 84 inches, cost about $14 at Target before hardware, tax and delivery, using prices checked 2026-11-01. IKEA's white RITVA pair in 57 x 118 inches was $59.99 if you need that longer drop. Start with the fabric length and window width, then choose a tension fitting, compatible adhesive holders or existing brackets. A no-drill installation still has to meet the hardware's span, load and surface instructions.

How much fabric a window needs

Take two measurements before you shop: the width the fabric has to cover, and the length from the rod down to where you want the hem. Measure the width where the rod will sit, which is inside the frame for a tension rod or across the brackets if you're reusing them. Then decide whether the curtains should stop at the sill, below it, or near the floor.

For a planning example, allow about two times the window's width so that the fabric can gather rather than stretch flat when closed. This is the assumption used in the arithmetic below, not a verified requirement from either store:

Window widthFabric at 2×How to split it
36 in36 × 2 = 72 inTwo panels of 36 in each, or wider
60 in60 × 2 = 120 inTwo panels of 60 in each

Panel sizes vary a lot between stores. Target lists its Room Essentials sheer rod-pocket panel at "60 in W x 84 in L," sold as one panel (checked 2026-10-23). Two of those panels give 60 × 2 = 120 inches of width, enough for a 60-inch window at roughly double fullness (that is our arithmetic, not Target's claim). IKEA sells its RITVA curtains with tie-backs as "1 pair," and the 57x118" size measures 57 by 118 inches, width by length (checked 2026-10-23).

Compare the panel length with the actual drop from your rod to the intended hem. An 84-inch panel and a 118-inch panel are different choices, even if both are wide enough for the opening. The result depends on where the rod is mounted and where you want the fabric to end, so measure that drop before deciding whether a panel needs shortening.

At IKEA US, that white RITVA pair was $59.99, checked 2026-11-01. Two nominal 57-inch panels give 57 × 2 = 114 inches of fabric, or twice a 57-inch span under this example's fullness assumption. Budget about $60 for that pair before hardware, tax, delivery or shortening. It is a fabric-only example; choose the hanging method before adding a rod or supports to the order.

Target's white Room Essentials single panel, 60 inches wide by 84 inches long, displayed $6.75, checked 2026-11-01. Two panels cost about $14 and give 120 inches of fabric. Target lists a single-panel weight of 0.42 lb; two panels therefore add 0.84 lb of fabric before the rod and any other hardware. The curtain is sheer, so choose it for filtered light rather than assuming blackout privacy.

Hanging without new holes

A tension rod presses between the sides of a recess rather than using screw-in brackets. Check that the opening and surfaces meet the rod's installation requirements, and ask about the risk of marks on the finish. A window flush with the wall may not offer a suitable recess.

Match the rod to both the opening and the curtain weight. IKEA's BOTAREN shower curtain tension rod is $12.99 at IKEA (checked 2026-10-23), but the price does not establish that it is suitable for a window. Ask IKEA to confirm the intended use, adjustable range and load for your curtain before buying it for that purpose.

Command's 17654 curtain-rod hooks are a purpose-made adhesive option. The 3M US product page states a 10 lb holding limit, and its installation guide limits the rod diameter to 3/4 inch (checked 2026-11-01). Compare the complete rod-and-curtain load with those instructions, and confirm the hook arrangement rather than multiplying the rating by the number of hooks.

3M's directions exclude wallpaper and rough or textured surfaces, require waiting seven days after painting and one hour after mounting before loading, and advise against hanging over beds. Follow its cleaning and stretch-release removal directions. These conditions do not guarantee that every rental finish will be left unmarked; choose another method if the surface or lease is unsuitable.

Target listed a satin-nickel Command 10 lb curtain-rod holder package, two hooks and four strips, at $16.99 on 2026-11-01. That listing limits rods to 1/2–3/4 inch in diameter and up to 48 inches long. Do not extend that package rating to a wider span or multiply it by the number of hooks. Its 48-inch limit rules out this package for the earlier 57- or 60-inch spans; price a suitable alternative for those windows.

If you are reusing suitable brackets, IKEA's black RÄCKA 28–47-inch rod was $4 and its matching black RAFFIG finial pair was $3, checked 2026-11-01. IKEA specifies two BETYDLIG wall or ceiling brackets for that rod. Treat the Command holders as a separate mounting choice: their diameter range alone is not a reason to replace the rod's specified supports. Have the makers confirm any proposed substitution before buying the parts together.

For brackets already on the wall, check their condition and ask which rod fitting and load they support. Matching the rod diameter alone does not establish that the whole installation is suitable. Measure the span between the brackets as well as the window before choosing the rod and fabric.

If drilling is the remaining option

Ask the landlord before installing brackets. Find out whether you may install brackets and what condition the wall must be in when you move out. Deposit rules differ by state. As one example, New York General Obligations Law section 7-108 lets a landlord keep only "reasonable and itemized" costs, including for "damage beyond normal wear and tear." It bars deductions "for ordinary wear and tear." Whether a patched hole is wear or damage falls under that test, and the statute puts the burden of proving the amount was reasonable on the landlord. The landlord also has 14 days to return the deposit with an itemized statement. If the landlord misses that deadline, the landlord loses the right to keep any of it. That is one state's statute, not advice about your lease.

What it costs

For the Target sheer option, budget about $14 for two panels before the rod and supports. For the longer RITVA pair, start with its $59.99 fabric price. Add only the hardware for the mounting method you will use, plus any shortening charge; a tension fitting and an adhesive holder package are alternatives rather than parts to buy automatically together. Keep the selected dimensions and package quantities with the order so the total covers the window you actually measured.

Delivery can cost more than a small order. IKEA's delivery page lists Standard Delivery from $29 for non-members and $19 for IKEA Family members, with a $35 minimum merchandise subtotal (checked 2026-10-23). A single $12.99 rod falls short of that minimum. Combine curtain purchases with other items, or pick them up in the store.

You often find out only at the window whether a panel is too short or too sheer, so the return terms count as part of the price. IKEA's return page gives 365 days for new, unopened products and 180 days for opened ones. It also says it does "not accept returns on plants, cut fabric, custom countertops and as-is products" (checked 2026-10-23). Target's product page for the Room Essentials panel shows a 365-day return window (checked 2026-10-23). Keep the packaging and hold off on hemming until the panels have hung for a few days. To see what curtains add to a whole apartment budget, use this site's cost page and the lists of other pieces you'll be buying.

Sources

Published 5 November 2026.