7 Rental Friendly Upgrades (Your Landlord Won’t Even Know About)
Are you a renter? Good news: there’s no need to upset your landlord in order to make your space look and feel like home. From peeling and sticking on removable wallpaper to replacing drawer pulls or rusty old vent covers, there are plenty of reversible rental friendly upgrades to consider.
Scroll below for all the easy and impactful DIY projects you can do today to add personality—or remove eyesores—from your temporary apartment or duplex.
1. Lend a Splash of Color with Paint
Go ahead and cover up dingy or boring white walls with a coat (or three) of color. Whether you choose a shade that is warm, cool, bold, or calming, any color will transform a space quickly at a low cost. Plus you can paint all walls a solid color, one wall as an accent, or do a DIY art design from mountainscapes to linear geo patterns by hand or with stencils.2. Add Personality with Peel and Stick Products
No-paint policy in your rental contract? No problem—there’s a peel and stick wallpaper (or contact paper, backsplash, or floor paneling) out there that will add plenty of colorful or patterned pizazz to your space. Available in every design imaginable, this type of adhesive is easy to install and peel off without damage whenever you want to take it down. If you’d rather ease into the trend, try wall decals instead.
3. Switch Out Ugly Vent Covers & Switchplates
Is there anything more cringey than cracked or yellowed-out, or rusty light switches or air vents? Regardless if a house is a rental or one you own, refresh your space from the top down with sleek, new, and improved grille/register covers and switch plates. Reggio Registers is proud to offer a beautiful and varied selection of vent covers in metal, wood, or authentic cast iron and your dream choice of color and pattern.
Try Before You Buy: See Our Vent Covers in Your Spaces
4. Create an Inviting Outdoor Oasis
Your rental should be comfortable and inviting indoors and out. For hot summer days/nights, add an inflatable pool or hot tub and a seating patio set (or even a simple hammock). Lend lighting ambiance for gatherings with portable fire pits, tiki torches, or string lights. And don’t be afraid to add landscaping curb appeal with potted plants and vibrant flowers for a lush outdoor oasis all your own.
5. Pile on the Texture with Area Rugs
If your rental place has unattractive and cheap carpeting or banged-up wood floors, simply cover your bases with pretty area rugs of your own. Not only do rugs add a cozy and homey feel, but most are easy to keep clean or even machine wash. Rugs are available in all shapes, sizes, and textures for spaces ranging from the entryway and bathroom to the biggest main rooms in the entire house.6. Adorn Doors & Drawers with New Knobs & Pulls
Like jewelry completing an ensemble, knobs and pulls on doors and drawers make or break a room. Most rentals have generic or outdated hardware in kitchens and bathrooms. As a renter, you can easily take off these pieces with a screwdriver, save them in a drawer come move-out day, and replace them with knobs/pulls in the perfect metal, color, shape, or design ranging from vintage to modern minimalist.7. Cover Up Wall Incongruities with Art
Aside from paint or peel-and-stick wallpaper, don’t be afraid to add some 3D decor to bare or discolored wall areas. Although many rental contracts have stipulations about holes in the walls, there are many easy solutions or various hanging tools to avoid damage. So go ahead and add photography, canvas art, mirrors, or even decorative wall shelves or planters—nail holes can always be fixed later on with plaster.
With the right balance of function, flow, and aesthetics (and the right personal touches), you or your roommates and guests should feel right at home in your rental space. From attractive additions to omissions, think outside the box and don’t be afraid to try affordable—and reversible—rental friendly upgrades to make your place feel like your very own.