Tenant friendly home decor ideas

Tenant friendly home decor ideas

It can be challenging to make a rental property feel like home - especially if the landlord has strict rules about what a tenant can and cannot change within the property. When trying to redecorate a rental property, tenants will need to find creative, non-permanent ways to give the home their own unique flair.

Apart from the rules laid out in the lease agreement that might prevent a tenant from making any permanent changes to the home, it isn't very beneficial for the tenant to spend a lot of money to update a property that is not their own.

When you own a property, any renovation or upgrade can be viewed as an investment into the future resale value of the home. However, when you are renting, any improvements you make to the property will only help the landlord increase their property value or charge more in rent once your lease is over.

Thankfully, there are a few ways that a tenant can update a space without making any permanent changes or investing too much of their own money. Below are a few tenant-friendly home decorating ideas...

Area Rugs and Wall Art

If you are not a fan of the floors, then cover them up with a few large area rugs that can be easily rolled up and taken with you to the next property. Similarly, cleverly placed wall art can conceal features you might not like. Before hanging art or other decorative pieces, check if you are allowed to hammer nails into the walls. If not, use lightweight artwork that can be put up using double-sided tape instead.

Peel and stick materials

Use peel-and-stick wallpaper to create a non-permanent feature wall without damaging the paint. You could also use decorative wall decals to liven up the walls. For kitchens and bathrooms, use stick-on tile patterns to easily update the look of the space.

Replace handles

One of the easiest and affordable things to update are the handles on kitchen cupboards or bedroom wardrobes - just be sure to keep the old handles in storage somewhere so that you can easily reinstall them once your lease expires.

Dress the space

The best way to decorate a rental property is to purchase your own furniture and styling items that you can easily take with you into your next home. Avoid anything that will need to be fixed to the walls. For example, instead of new light fixtures, purchase floor or table lamps. Instead of wall-hung shelves, purchase a freestanding bookshelf. Instead of blinds, hang curtains.  

Before tackling any home improvements on a rental property, tenants are reminded to review the lease agreement carefully and to seek permission, when necessary, before making any changes.

Brass or copper lighting

Popular in the 70s and 80s and recently become trendy again to add a metallic touch to room, most people toss these out or sell them to second-hand stores for a bit of cash back on items they no longer need. You will commonly find items like candle sticks, pendant lights, and knickknacks that you can pick up at bargain prices.

While it might not be an item you would generally consider for your home, look at this purchase into a fun DIY project that you can transform with a few craft accessories.

Chalked paint is easy to apply and requires very little prep work and can be used to give your brass accessories a fresh look. And since it doesn't require much preparation when using chalk paint, you can simply apply and transform for a unique fitting that will add to the decor of a room, or introduce a vintage feel...

Table and standing lamps

Every room needs a little light to brighten up the space and a little light may be just what your home needs. Once thing that's great about giving a table or standing lamp a makeover is that it is easy to buy new lampshades. Buy a new shade in a colour and design that will complement the existing decor in the room.

Spray paint or chalk paint is an easy way to give any table lamp a new look, plus you can choose the right colour to match your colour scheme. When looking for inexpensive table or standing lamps, choose one that will be easy to work with and easy to keep clean.

Coffee tables and side tables

Side table, coffee tables and end tables are great second-hand store bargains if you find them. When you come across good buys - check before you take to make sure the bones (framework) are good. You don't have to have to spend too much to give these a makeover, otherwise it isn't worth it. Make sure drawers are in good condition and that any superficial damage will be easy to repair.

Giving this type of furniture a new look is relatively simple - even if it has seen better days. You only need a few basic tools (drill / driver, jigsaw and sander) to make them look good. As with other items we discuss here, you can quite easily paint with spray paint or chalk paint to match your existing room decor and theme.

Looking good with mirrors

Whether you find some old picture frames or vintage mirrors, you can give these a quick makeover with paint. You will find plenty of ideas for making your own picture frames in our Craft section, so go ahead and add a good-looking mirror to your home. A fun idea is to collect an assortment of different sized and shaped mirrors to create a statement wall.

Breakfast trays, serving trays or trolleys

Many people associate serving trays with something grandma would have, but these items have come back into fashion and are considered versatile pieces that every home should have. While they may not fit in with your style, you can give them a simple makeover or restore the metal finish to match what you already have.

Think out of the box with serving trays - they look great as a decorative centrepiece on a coffee table or dining table, or even on a server or consol table.

Give new life to second-hand

With shopping for bargains at second-hand stores there's always room for improvement, and you get to buy at affordable prices.  Don't be afraid to browse your local second-hand stores in search of must-have bargains.

Extract form Property 24