Information

When you rent an apartment, it's unlikely that you can do a lot of major redecorating. Renting a home affords more opportunity to change the interior decor, depending on the personality and preferences of the homeowner. There may still be restrictions on what you can do with the home's interior if the landlord does not want to see major modifications of the home. Some homeowners prefer a renter who will fix up the interior of the home. After all, the repairs and upgrades will enhance the home's value. The latter type of owner may allow the renter a lot of freedom in their decorating options.

How Much Redecorating or Home Improvements Should a Renter Do?

If you are renting a home, think about your budget before doing anything. About the only benefit you will receive is living in more pleasant surroundings, but other than that, you get no tax or other benefit by spending money on the landlord's house.

Some homeowners may allow the renter to make minor decorating changes such as painting the walls, hanging up pictures or installing decorative shelving. Extensive decorating work such as installing new flooring, putting in windows or knocking down walls might not be considered acceptable by some landlords. The landlord might approve of this type of extensive work so long as the work is to be done by a someone other than you, such as a professional contractor. If you seriously consider this, however, why on earth should you invest money and time in making major improvements to a home that you do not own when you receive no tax or other benefit? You are better off making do with minor interior decorations and improvements and holding onto your hard-earned cash so that it will collect some interest and can be used as a down payment for your own property.

Before Spending Money on Redecorating Your Rental Home, Check with the Homeowner

Read and understand your rental agreement before investing anything in interior decorating. There may be specific prohibitions about painting or other activities in the contract. It is unlikely that the lease will spell out each and every possible type of interior decor activity, so check with the landlord before making modifications to the rental house. If possible, get a written authorization from the landlord of your proposed redecorating ideas.

If It's Iffy, Just Don't Do It

As a renter, if you're not sure whether you can perform a specific decorating activity and you are unable to reach the property owner, it's best to not make any changes. Spending money on interior improvements to a rental home may backfire on you, especially if the homeowner asks you to undo the changes.

Some Quick Decorating Tips

Regardless of whether you are renting a home from a person who allows a lot of changes or is very restrictive, there are some quick things that you can do to upgrade the home decor. Best yet, you can keep these improvements and use them in your next home (preferably, the one you buy) instead of spending money on someone else's property that you will not be able to recoup.

RUGS - If the flooring in the rental home is stained or just plain ugly, cover it up with throw rugs or area rugs.

ART AND PLANTS - If the paint job is hideous and you're not allowed to repaint or change the wallpaper, hide it with some nice artwork. Large, leafy houseplants like Ficus trees add a touch of class to a home and can cover otherwise ugly spaces.

DECORATIVE FURNITURE - Furniture can change the look of a rental home. You can upgrade the interior decor by furnishing it with futons, known for their versatility and space saving features. Cheap futon covers are available in a variety of colors and patterns that can change the look of a room. Spice your futons up with some colorful throw pillows and the room will take on a whole new appearance. For cramped spaces, futons are great. Use them as a couch or chair by day and a bed at night.

LIGHTING - Play with light to create a sense of ambiance and draw the eye toward art or other features in the room instead of the defects. Traditional lamps, canister lamps or tree lamps can be used to direct light. Just plug them in and don't worry about having to change the light fixtures or having to install dimmer switches.