Being in a rental property, whether it is an apartment, town home, condo, or a house can sometimes be difficult when it comes to making it your own. A lot of places don’t allow you to paint your walls, renovate, or make any big changes without you losing your security deposit. For some people, this is hard to deal with since it can make it feel like it’s just a rental property, not their home. There are some ways that you can still decorate to make it your own space, without losing your security deposit.
Some people like having that extra pop of color, especially when they can’t paint an accent wall. There are plenty of other ways to introduce color into your space without paint. One great way is to add a wall decal or sticker. Decals come in a ton of different colors and looks so you can find something that fits your personal style. Most wall decals are vinyl and are applied using the light adhesive on the back of it. The best part about them is that you can get that pop of color and added style without any wall damage. When you are done with them or move, simply peel it off and wipe down the area. Something else you can do is add in a colorful floor rug, pillows, or window treatments to bring in that extra color.
Decorating the walls can be the most difficult thing to deal with in a rental property since you can’t paint and normally can’t drill holes. However, just like using the wall decals instead of paint, there are ways to hang pictures, mirrors, and even curtains without damaging the wall. By using things like command strips or other non-damaging adhesive hooks you can get almost any look you want, anywhere in your home, without losing your security deposit. There are many different options in styles and sizes of hooks. You can use small or large clear hooks to hang up pictures or artwork. These can also be used to help organize different spaces by letting you hang purses, keys, towel, robes, or even pots and pans in the kitchen. If you want to add some curtains or window treatments, you can use these to hold a curtain rod with your favorite drapes and not leave a scratch. Another way to dress your windows is by using a tension rod like you would use for your shower curtain and hang your window treatments with that. This will let you decorate your rooms with family photos, artwork, curtains, mirrors, and even help with organization.
In some spaces it seems that there is nothing you can put there, or there is no way to decorate it and it becomes the “forgotten space.” These areas can be the perfect place to add in that accent that brings the entire room together. If the space is in a bedroom, you can try adding a leaning wall mirror to fill up the space. This will be a simple and elegant addition to a corner or awkward space and doesn’t require you to drill any holes or hammer and nails. Mirrors can also help make a space look a little bigger, so adding it can not only dress up an area but make it seem it is more spacious. Another way to dress up the area is to add a decorated side table. You can easily create an interesting decorative space by using a mixture of mirrors, artwork, or other items on the table. Just remember not to overdo it so that the space doesn’t look cluttered or like a catch-all for random items.
Some rental properties will let you change out things like light fixtures and ceiling fans, and if yours does, you should use that to your advantage. Changing the lights in a kitchen or bathroom can change the entire feel of the space. There are a lot of different styles of lights, and ceiling fans; some with dimmers, some with remotes, some look like palm trees, and some are meant for future firefighters and princesses. Ceiling fans and lights aren’t that difficult to change out. Something else that people don’t realize can be swapped out are bathroom fans. There are some decorative bath fans that you can get to swap out with the old boring plastic ones. This can change the look of any bathroom especially when paired with matching bathroom lighting. Of course, in most leases that allow for these kinds of changes, you are required to change it back before moving out if you want to keep your security deposit. So, when you change out any lights or fans, keep the original for when you move out.
There are a ton of ways that you can decorate your rental space without losing your security deposit. However, make sure you have read your lease closely and carefully so you are completely sure of what you can and can’t do. If you have a decorating idea and wonder if it will affect your security deposit, you can ask the management company or refer back to a copy of your lease.
This is a guest blog post from Emmalee Smith at DIYmother.wordpress.com
