What Your Lease Actually Lets You Change
Before you make any changes to your apartment, review your lease. Your lease usually outlines what décor changes you can make in your apartment. For example, furniture, lamps, rugs, and other freestanding décor are usually fine, while wallpaper, nails in the wall, and new paint colors may be restricted by your lease.
Apartment leases differ from community to community, and something allowed at one property may be prohibited at another. Before you make any changes to your rental, talk to your landlord or review your lease to make sure you’re not violating any rules. This will also help when it comes time to get your security deposit back at the end of your lease.
Easy and Affordable Changes That Make a Difference
There are many small changes you can make in your apartment that are easy to try and won’t break the bank or lease rules. Here are a few easy ways to spruce up your living space.
Hang your curtains higher and wider
Curtains are an easy and affordable way to decorate any room in your apartment. One way to elevate your space is to hang them higher and wider than you might expect. Extending your curtains past the window frame and closer to the ceiling can help short windows appear taller and small rooms feel bigger.
When shopping for curtains, look for options that are long enough to reach the floor. This will ensure that your small room achieves the illusion of feeling bigger.
Pull furniture away from the walls
Another easy way to make your apartment layout feel more unique is to play around with furniture placement. Instead of pushing your couch and bed all the way against the wall, leave a few inches between your furniture and the wall. This can give the room a more open, modern feel. Another fun way to play around with your furniture is to angle a chair or couch rather than positioning it straight. When positioned the right way, furniture can make the room feel more welcoming and visually interesting.
Be strategic about décor placement
Instead of spreading décor across a surface or wall, consider clustering smaller items to create a more cohesive look. Whether it’s small paintings on the bedroom wall or vases in the living room, grouping smaller objects together can make the room feel more put-together and less cluttered. Try this approach with smaller décor pieces that share a color, material, or style.
Affordable Lighting and Décor Upgrades
Lamps, string lights, and light bulbs can make any room feel more inviting. With warm tones and soft lighting, these upgrades are a simple way to refresh any room in your apartment. Here are a couple of ways you can incorporate different lighting in your home.
Ignore the ceiling fixture
The overhead light in your bedroom, living room, or kitchen is usually a bright, white light that can feel overwhelming. Instead of relying on this overhead fixture, consider using multiple small lamps around the room. Lamps can provide softer light that will help your apartment feel warmer and more welcoming.
Try to place the lamps in different areas around the room at different heights so the lighting is balanced throughout the space.
Use warmer bulbs rather than cold ones
Warm light bulbs have a soft, yellow undertone that can feel more inviting. When purchasing light bulbs, look for bulbs that are lower on the Kelvin scale. This scale measures color temperature of a light bulb, and bulbs that fall between 2,700K and 3,000K are considered warm light, while bulbs that fall within the 4,000K to 6,500K range are cooler in appearance.
When deciding which light bulbs to buy, consider choosing bulbs with the same color temperature for each fixture. Mixing cool and warm bulbs can make a room feel disjointed.
Use Textiles to Bring Character to a Room
Textiles such as rugs, blankets, pillows, curtains, and wall tapestries can help add comfort or character to a room without permanently altering the space. Before hanging tapestries or other wall décor, check your lease for restrictions.
Consider rugs and carpets
If your rental already has carpet in the bedroom or living room, consider adding an area rug on top. This will not only create a unique look in the room but also help protect your security deposit in case of any spills or accidents. An area rug is also an easy way to bring color, texture, or pattern into a room. If you’re looking for a simple way to elevate any room in your apartment, consider an area rug.
Layer the bed instead of buying a set
Instead of buying a brand-new bedding set for your new room, think about mixing and matching your current bedding with new blankets, sheets, or pillows. This is a budget-friendly way to create a unique look in your bedroom. Instead of spending your move-in budget on new bedding, you can save it for other surprise upfront costs while letting your creativity show in your space.
Choose soft accent pieces
Accent pieces can bring a pop of color, a cozy vibe, or both. Some of the most common accent pieces are pillows, blankets, and linens. Incorporating these items into your bedroom or living room can make the space feel lived in and personal. Plus, you can use accent blankets and pillows to seasonally decorate your home!
Wall Décor That Doesn’t Leave a Mark
Wall damage can lead to security deposit deductions depending on your lease terms. Most leases are specific about what a renter can hang on the walls. Whether your lease prohibits nails, adhesive hooks, or painting, it’s important to know what wall décor is renter-friendly according to your lease. Here are two things to consider before changing or hanging anything on your apartment walls.
Know which paint finishes are safe
There are several different wall paint finishes, like flat, matte, eggshell, satin, and semi-gloss. If you decide to hang wall décor up with adhesive hooks in your apartment, make sure that the paint finishes on the wall are eggshell, satin, or semi-gloss. These finishes are less likely to lift the paint when peeling adhesive off the wall.
Ask your landlord what finish the paint in your rental has and how long it has been since the walls were painted. Freshly painted walls usually need a couple weeks to set and applying adhesive can lift the paint. If you have any questions about what you can hang on your apartment wall, review your lease or talk to your landlord.
How to take off peel-and-stick hooks without lifting the paint
When attempting to peel adhesive off the wall, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for safe removal. If the adhesive still sticks to the wall or starts to lift the paint, one way you can remove it without lifting the paint is by using a hair dryer. To achieve this, start to pull the adhesive slowly from a top corner. Hold the hair dryer at a medium distance away to help soften the adhesive. If you start to peel too fast, the paint will lift from the wall, so remember to peel slowly.
Plants That Actually Survive in a Rental
Taking care of plants can be challenging in an apartment, especially when your space gets limited natural light. Although taking care of plants can be tedious, there are some low-maintenance plants that can work well as apartment greenery.
Succulents and other small plants
Succulents are perfect for renters because they only need to be watered every couple of weeks, range in size, and are non-toxic to pets. While succulents still need light to survive, their size can make it easier to place them near available light, like a windowsill or patio.
Other small plants that work well in apartments are flower vines, ferns, or an arrowhead vine. While all these plants are relatively small and require maintenance every week, they need low to medium light to survive, making it easy to use these plants in your apartment to decorate.
Grow your own herbs
If you like to cook, you can grow your own herbs in your apartment! Here is a list of the spices most well-suited to apartment living and growing:
- Basil
- Lavender
- Thyme
- Oregano
- Cilantro
- Mint
- Chives
Remember to grow these plants in separate pots to avoid mixing flavors together and getting confused. You wouldn’t want to add basil when you mean to add mint in a dish.
Toxic plants to avoid if you live with pets
Decorating with plants has been known to brighten moods and reduce the stress of renters who choose this form of décor. However, if you live with a dog, cat, or any pet, there are certain plants you should avoid as they are toxic to animals. Plants that are toxic to animals include:
- Aloe
- Alocasia
- Pothos
- Lilies
- ZZ plants
- Sago palm
- Oleander
- Tulips
- Daffodils
If you live with a pet and plan to decorate your space with plants, it’s important to know which plants are toxic to your pet. Always do your research before potting a plant and bringing it into your space.
Find Your Next Rental on ForRent
If you’re looking for a rental that fits your needs, start your search on ForRent! On ForRent, you can search for homes across a range of options, like your minimum and maximum rent range, floor plan, and housing type. Explore available rentals and find a home that fits your needs on ForRent.
This article was originally published on February 11, 2020 and has been updated.
