There are always rules when you’re a renter, including rules for getting approved to be a tenant in the first place. You’re expected to follow strict rules when renting from the credit check to the lease agreement and what you can do in the home.
As a renter, it might feel like you have limited options for making your rental feel like home. However, renting doesn’t mean there aren’t any options for decorating. If you talk to your landlord, you can find out what types of cosmetic changes are acceptable and which are not. For example, some landlords will not allow you to paint your walls, while others will allow paint as long as you paint it back before you move out. Even if your landlord is strict about how you can decorate your home, there are still tons of things you can do to make it homier. Here are a few ways renters can spruce up their homes.
1. Paint (If Allowed)
As we’ve mentioned, some landlords will not allow you to paint. However, many landlords understand that their renters will want to paint their walls to make their homes more unique. So if your landlord allows paint, you might just have to deal with painting it back to a white color before you move out. Painting your room is an affordable way to refreshen a space and you can have fun doing it!
If you’re unsure of your lease agreement’s stance on painting, you can always review it or call your landlord to understand the types of cosmetic changes you can make in your home. The good news is that there are options even when you can’t paint your walls. For example, you can use wall decals to make any boring white wall sparkle with personality. You can also invest in peel-and-stick wallpaper that will allow you to completely transform any and every room in your home. Then, when you’re done with the wallpaper, all you have to do is peel it off, and there will be no damage done to the walls.
2. Spruce Up the Yard
If you’re renting a house or condo and have a yard all to yourself, you can make your rental feel more like home by sprucing up your yard. If you’re allowed, you can start a backyard garden. However, once again, check your lease agreement to understand what changes you can make to the yard. If you want to discuss different options with your landlord, feel free to do so.
When trying to convince your landlord to let you change the yard in some way, always point out how it can improve the yard, such as adding flowers to the front of the house can add curb appeal. Landlords are more likely to say yes when you can show them how your changes can improve their bottom lines or increase the home’s value.
3. Upgrade Hardware
Renters can easily upgrade kitchen and bathroom hardware and switch it back when they move out. Replace doorknobs, cabinet pulls, dresser knobs and anything else that you can to add a splash of your personality to any room. Upgrading hardware is affordable and can change the feel of any room. Be careful when changing hardware, though. You’ll need to ask your landlord permission to drill new holes. You can also choose not to replace any hardware with something that would require additional holes.
4. Window Treatments
Most rentals come with standard, boring blinds that typically break if you try to clean them. However, you can upgrade your rental by changing out your window treatments and replacing boring blinds with curtains.
Many landlords allow you to add curtains to your home, but be careful about color. Some lease agreements may state that your window treatments must be a certain color or have a certain color, such as white, pointing outward. Luckily, many curtains come with one color for the apartment and white facing outside of the apartment, so you can find a color you love to help spruce up your decor.
If you need to install a rod to hang your curtains, you can purchase curtain rod brackets that require no drilling or hang your curtain rods with Command™ hooks that won’t damage your walls.
5. Peel-and-Stick Flooring
We’ve already discussed peel-and-stick wallpaper, but you can also change up the appearance of your kitchen and bathroom floors with peel-and-stick flooring for any room that doesn’t have carpet. By changing the way your floor looks, you can make your bathroom and kitchen look more high-end without spending thousands of dollars on replacing the floors or asking for your landlord’s permission. When you’re done with the flooring, all you have to do is peel it off and replace it with something new to change how your kitchen or bathroom looks.
6. Add Your Own Photos
You can get any photo on your phone enlarged and printed on a canvas to help add your personal touch to any rental. Whether you want to showcase how cute your pet is or put a large framed picture of your family in your hallway, you can make your home more personal to you even though you don’t own it. When putting your own photos on the walls, be careful not to drill any holes. Instead, you can use Command™ Strips attached to any photo frame and stick your favorite images on your wall. Don’t have any good photos to use? You can create your own art and get it printed!
7. Use Mirrors
Many rentals are smaller than we want them to be, but you can make your space feel bigger by adding mirrors. Mirrors are a cost-effective way to make any room feel larger. When deciding where to put your mirror, look for places that can bounce natural light off of them and reflect the outdoors. Depending on your preferences, you can use any shape of mirror you want, or you can choose a variety of different mirrors for one space.
Final Thoughts
Being a renter means having fewer options when it comes to decorating your home, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add your own style to your apartment or rental house. There are many ways to transform a space, including the use of color, designs, and wall art to make your rental feel like your home.
Ashley Nielsen
Ashley Nielsen earned a B.S. degree in Business Administration Marketing at Point Loma Nazarene University. She is a contributing writer at 365businesstips.com where she shares knowledge about general business, marketing, lifestyle, or financial tips. During her free time she enjoys being outside, staying active, reading a book, or diving deep into her favorite music.