25 Ways to Improve Your Rental Without Losing Your Deposit

Before you change anything

Three habits protect your deposit more than any product:

1. Read the lease. Look for rules on hanging pictures, painting, adhesive products and swapping fixtures. If it is unclear, ask in writing and keep the reply.
2. Photograph everything on move-in day, including existing marks, and send the photos to your landlord.
3. Keep every original part. Shower heads, cabinet handles, light shades and curtain rails go in a labelled box so you can put them back.

Everything below is designed to be undone. Test adhesive products on a hidden spot first, follow the weight ratings, and remove them the way the maker describes; pulling a strip straight out from the wall is what tears paint.

Lighting

1. Add plug-in lamps to dark corners. The quickest way to change how a room feels.
2. Use plug-in wall lights with a cord cover instead of hard-wired ones.
3. Stick rechargeable LED strips under kitchen cabinets and inside closets.
4. Swap in warmer or brighter bulbs. Keep the originals to refit later.
5. Use smart bulbs or smart plugs for dimming and schedules with no wiring. See smart home setup for a first apartment.

Walls

1. Hang art with adhesive strips rated for the frame's weight.
2. Lean large art and mirrors on a shelf, a console or the floor.
3. Try removable wallpaper on one wall. Check that it suits your paint finish; it grips poorly on textured walls and can lift flat, low-quality paint.
4. Use a picture ledge or freestanding shelf to rotate art without new holes.
5. Ask before you paint. Many landlords agree if you offer to return the walls to the original colour.

Windows

1. Hang curtains on tension rods or adhesive hooks where you cannot drill.
2. Add stick-on privacy film to bathroom or street-level windows. It peels off.
3. Layer a heavier curtain over existing blinds for darkness, warmth and quiet.

Kitchen

1. Apply a peel-and-stick backsplash over plain tiles or painted walls, away from direct heat.
2. Swap cabinet handles using the existing screw holes, and keep the originals.
3. Line shelves and drawers with removable liner.
4. Add a rolling cart for storage and extra work surface.

More in how to organize a tiny apartment kitchen.

Bathroom

1. Change the shower head. It usually unscrews by hand or with a wrench. Keep the old one.
2. Use a tension-rod shelf or hanging caddy instead of drilled shelves.
3. Replace a tired shower curtain, bath mat and towels. Textiles do most of the visual work in a rental bathroom.

Storage

1. Use freestanding shelving secured with an anti-tip strap.
2. Hang over-the-door racks and hooks on every door that can take one.
3. Add adhesive hooks inside cupboards and by the entrance.

See all 21 small apartment storage ideas.

Floors and comfort

1. Lay a large rug with a non-slip underlay to cover a floor you do not like, add warmth and reduce noise for the neighbours below.
2. Fit a door sweep and adhesive weatherstripping to cut drafts and noise. More in how to reduce noise in an apartment.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Overloading adhesive hooks. The rating assumes a clean, smooth, dry surface and the stated waiting time before loading.
• Sticking things to fresh paint or wallpaper. Both can come away with the adhesive.
• Throwing away originals. A missing shade or handle is an easy deduction.
• Assuming silence means yes. Get permission for anything not clearly allowed.

When you move out

Reverse each change, refit the originals, fill any small holes you were permitted to make, clean thoroughly and take a second set of photographs. Compare them with your move-in photos before you hand back the keys.