Residents
Owners
When you’re trying to think of ways to customize your rental home, you need to keep in mind that the customizations can’t affect your lease agreement or affect a deposit. For example, in most cases you can’t change the structure, the electrical, plumbing or other permanent changes when the lease states that it’s not to be altered.
At the same time, you want to make your rental feel like your own and have a taste of your personal style. What else can you do to make it your own? Try hanging pictures, throw some rugs over the carpet you didn’t get to pick and consider removable wallpaper so that you aren’t painting on someone else’s rental unit. Here are some more tips to customize your rental home in order to make it feel like “yours” without tampering with someone else’s property.
Dress up the Windows
While you can’t choose the windows, you can choose how you cover them. Most places give you unattractive vinyl blinds but with your landlord’s permission, you can probably remove them, store them and hang something of your own. Try roman shades, sheer panels or curtains in a bold color that goes well with your furniture. Just reinstall the rental blinds when you move out.
New Hardware
Perhaps your rental unit’s cabinets are a little boring and not your taste. If the landlord allows it, consider replacing the cabinet hardware with something a little more funky or modern. Having new pulls, knobs and handles can make their function better, their look more fun and it will feel a little bit more like “you.”
Area Rugs
When you hate the rental home’s flooring, you could cover it up with your own area rugs. It will also work as a floor protector so that you don’t have to be responsible for any damage or pet accidents on someone else’s hard floor or carpet. You can choose the size, color and pattern with a rug.
Consider hanging up your own art with damage-free hanging products, paint if your landlord allows it, put up removable wallpaper and plant trees in the landscape, all with landlord approval. It’ll feel like your own little home in no time.
