How to decorate a rental home without breaking any rules

In most states, you’re allowed to make minor, non-structural changes to your rental, including installing picture hooks, planting shrubs or veggies in the garden, changing (some) shower heads, and installing curtain rods. Depending on your lease agreement, you may be able to make these changes without prior approval. However, always read your tenancy agreement and state laws. Many will recommend asking for permission, even if you think you don’t have to, so you have evidence of written approval. If you’re changing something that can be changed back (like, shower heads or toilet seats) you’ll also have to keep the original so it can be returned to its prior condition before you leave. (Unless your landlord agrees otherwise.)

Larger modifications, such as painting your walls or altering light fixtures, require permission.

With that in mind, here are some of the ways you can decorate your home without breaking any rental rules!

“I think it’s worth biting the bullet and buying those gorgeous pieces that you love, because then you also don’t feel the need to style them with so much stuff,” Loui says. “It actually feels nice to take things off and go, ‘oh, wow, I like that.” Loui is all for splurging on big furniture items, like sofas, that will tie a room together. However, he recommends getting a modular sofa for its malleability and ability to be adjusted to fit the needs of your current and future spaces.

“You need to get a modular sofa,” he says. “That’s the reason I love the Ellison Studios Muse sofa. Because it’s got a gorgeous shape, and you can break it apart or put it all together again.”

The key pieces that Loui says instantly make your rental feel like a home are: Rugs, light shades and curtains or window treatments. All of these can be changed with, and sometimes without, landlord approval.

Rugs are your best friend in a rental property, as they can cover all manner of flooring sins. Flooring is one thing you can’t change, so you’re stuck with the floorboards, carpets or tiles you’ve inherited. Invest in large rugs as both a revolutionary piece of decor, and also for added protection for the existing floors, so they don’t get too damaged, scratched or stained.

You can also swap out old curtains for new ones for an instant lift to any space. While you can’t change any fixed blinds (without permission), you can add or change curtains, which you can also take with you when you leave.

Many rentals lack in-built storage options we need to keep our spaces clear of clutter. However, Loui has a few solutions to this end.

In the bedroom he emphasises a need for gas lift beds, so you can use the underside for storage, without being able to see it from the outside. “I keep all my winter bedding underneath,” Loui shares.

As for the living areas or hallways, look for furniture with added storage. “Make sure your consoles have drawers and doors,” he adds. “Don’t have everything open. Don’t have a lot of bookcases because then you have to style them all the time. Doors cover mess!” Sofas or ottomans with built-in storage can also help.

Meanwhile, in your pantry or kitchen, Loui says to keep everything in tubs or boxes to minimise the appearance of clutter. Bar carts can also be a functional but stylish addition.

When it comes to large wardrobes or bookshelves, you are able to ask your landlord if you can affix these to your walls, which they (often) can’t legally reject.

It will depend on the type of walls you have. If you have basic concrete or plaster walls, you can possibly apply peel-and-stick wallpaper, which can be removed with minimum fuss or damage. Temple & Webster has an easy range to peruse.

You can also try stick-on wallpaper or tiles. UK-based Instagrammer Amara Hasham (@thepajaamahub) is renowned for transforming her rental home using a few hacks that leave walls and fixtures intact. Amara applies adhesive vinyl tiles to walls and splashbacks to instantly update boring spaces. She also sticks clear contact to walls, then applies adhesive glue followed by actual wallpaper.

There are good reasons indoor plants never go out of fashion. Indoor plants purify your air, connect you to nature and add subtle colour, leading to a sense of calm and serenity. There’s no limit to how many indoor plant pots you can feature in your rental property.

Another great, non-permanent and permissible addition to a rental is a veggie garden. Few people realise you can plant into the garden of your rental property, providing you don’t damage the existing garden.

Meanwhile, a raised freestanding garden bed is a safe, balcony-friendly option, plus growing your own vegetables or herbs is a smart way to save money, bring a garden to life and encourage you to eat better.

There are adjustments you can make to your bathroom to improve its aesthetic — and its comfort level. “I change the shower head and normally toilet seat and every place that I move into because nine times out of ten a rental doesn’t have a soft-close toilet seat, and these things aren’t expensive and you use it every day,” Loui says.

“The shower head that was in there before was like a camper van [shower], and the shower curtain was like a garbage bag,” he continues, adding that he now has a beautiful goose neck shower fitting.

If you’re changing the entire shower fitting, this will require landlord approval. However, if it’s just the head of a handheld shower and a toilet seat, you are usually able to change these, as long as you keep the original fittings for when you move out of the rental and change them back before you leave.