Decor Tips That Help Your Rental Become a Home
If you move into a rental, it might take some time before you start seeing it as your home. If you have a good lease agreement template, however, you can still find ways to make it yours. In this guide, we share seven great tips for decorating your rental property.
Decorating Rental Homes Without Breaking the Contract
Some contracts are unclear about if tenants can decorate their home, which could stop you from feeling comfortable in it. On top of this, renters usually have a tight budget; and a massive decor change might simply cost too much.
Here are some decoration options that can easily fit most contracts and budgets:
1. Houseplants
No matter where you’re staying, even just one houseplant adds plenty of life to any space. They make the room more colorful while also helping you stay in touch with the environment for a low price, for example.
Simple, low-maintenance options such as lucky bamboo, snake, or ZZ plants are great for busy renters. If your apartment barely gets natural light throughout the day, these plants can still keep themselves together.
2. Feature Wall
Your contract might forbid you from nailing anything into, or painting, the wall, but you could still create something special. Hang family photos on simple adhesive strips to avoid any permanent damages to the property.
If you do want to add some color to a wall (or the whole property), use peel-and-stick paper and washable paint. However, you should still seek permission from the owner before you make any major changes.
3. Lighting
Similarly, you can put your own spin on a property’s lighting. Even changing the lampshade can make a big difference. Choosing a cover that fits your style brightens up the place in more ways than one.
If your landlord has yet to embrace efficient LED lightbulbs, you can add them yourself and reap the benefits right away. These bulbs also give a cleaner light that helps any other decor choices pop.
4. Rugs
Few landlords let their tenants change the flooring in any way, and it’s rare for them to budge on this. A rug not only makes your steps softer, it can also be a great design addition to any room.
Make sure you pick a good shape and color which pairs well with your space. This guarantees a strong balance between form and function, with plenty of options to fit different budgets.
5. Multipurpose Furniture
While rental homes usually have limited space, multipurpose furniture lets you make the most of it. For example, you may buy a coffee table with built-in storage, or a couch bed for houseguests to sleep in.
Once your contract ends, you could then take this compact multifunctional furniture to your next home. These options ultimately aim to give you more flexibility, which can help any tenant settle into a space.
6. Outdoor Spaces
Many tenants neglect their balcony or garden because they’re often unsure if they can even add to them. If your rental agreement allows it, you can personalize these spaces with furnishings or even new plants.
Even if you’re working with a small area, this means every decoration you add makes a stronger impact. Experiment with your outdoor spaces, and you’ll soon feel even more connected to your new rental home.
7. Personal Shelves
Even stacking the shelves with your belongings can give the rooms some much-needed color. If you like to read, for example, don’t be afraid to lay out a collection of your books to help with the ambience.
Decoration is about much more than adding fixtures or changing the walls. It’s also about finding ways to showcase your personality throughout a property, even when you can only make minor changes to it.
Navigating Decorations in Your Rental Contract
Carefully read through your tenancy agreement before signing and see what your landlord says about decorations. Even if they’ve mostly banned them, you can still negotiate. In fact, they may simply need reassurance that you’re responsible and will leave no damages.
The property owner might even let you decorate the space however you want, within reason. In this situation, however, they could ask you to undo these changes when the tenancy ends. This will again limit the decorating options available to you.
If you decorate your home in ways that violate the contract, you’ll risk your deposit, or even your tenancy. This could be a mark against you when renting in the future. Always double-check that the decorations you have in mind won’t cause any trouble.
Conclusion
As a renter, your options are limited when it comes to making the space more personal. With the right decor choices, and even some negotiating, you can find ways around these problems. This will help you turn it into a home that you can be proud of.
