Rental decorating ideas: changes you can undo

The best rental decorating ideas are the ones you can take with you or undo in an afternoon: a large rug over the existing floor, plug-in lamps and wall lights instead of new wiring, removable hooks and leaning art, curtains on tension rods, swapped handles and lampshades (with the originals stored safely), and freestanding furniture that suits your next home too. Before you change anything fixed, read your lease and ask your landlord, in writing. Here’s how to make a rental feel like yours without losing your deposit.

Start with your lease

Rules vary a lot between countries, cities and landlords. Some leases allow small nail holes, others forbid any changes. A few minutes now saves arguments later.

• Read the clause on alterations and decoration. Look for nails, adhesives, painting and fixtures.
• Ask before anything fixed: painting, drilling, changing light fittings, removing shelves.
• Get the answer in writing, even a short email.
• Photograph every room on move-in day. It protects you when you move out.
• Keep every original you remove, labeled, in one box.

Lay down a big rug

The floor is often the least loved surface in a rental, and the easiest to cover. A large rug changes the color of the room, softens sound and holds the furniture together.

• Size it to the furniture group, not the empty floor. At least the front legs of the sofa and chairs should sit on it. Our rug size guide has the numbers.
• Layer a smaller patterned rug on a cheap, large jute one if the rug you love is too small.
• Use a rug pad that’s safe for the floor underneath. Some rubber backings can mark wood and vinyl.

Fix the lighting without an electrician

Rental lighting usually means one ceiling light in the middle of the room. Add light at other heights and the room changes completely.

• Floor and table lamps in two or three corners.
• Plug-in wall sconces with the cord running neatly down the wall (cord covers help). They mount with one or two small screws or, for light ones, strong adhesive.
• A new shade over the existing ceiling bulb holder: a paper lantern or woven shade is cheap and easy to swap back.
• Warm bulbs, around 2700K, in living rooms and bedrooms.
• Battery or rechargeable lamps for shelves and dark corners with no socket.

Our guide to layered lighting explains how to plan the layers.

Hang things without (many) holes

• Removable hooks and strips hold light frames, keys and small mirrors. Check the weight rating and follow the instructions exactly.
• Picture ledges and shelves let you lean and swap art with one set of fixings, or none if they’re freestanding.
• Lean big art or a large mirror against the wall on a sideboard, mantel or the floor. It looks relaxed and intentional.
• Over-door hooks add storage on the back of doors without touching them.
• If nails are allowed, small picture hooks leave tiny holes that are easy to fill when you leave.

For heights, spacing and gallery layouts, see how to hang art.

Curtains without drilling

Bare windows make a room feel unfinished, and the existing blinds are often tired.

• Tension rods fit inside a window recess, no drilling needed. Good for light curtains and sheers.
• Use the existing rod or track if there is one, and just change the curtains.
• Clamp-on or adhesive brackets exist for some window frames and light fabrics.
• Hang high and wide if you’re allowed to fix a rod. It makes the windows and ceiling look bigger. Our guide on how to hang curtains has the measurements.

Swap the small fixed things, then swap them back

Some of the most dated details in a rental are tiny and easy to change, as long as you keep the originals.

• Cabinet and drawer handles in the kitchen or on built-in wardrobes. Measure the screw spacing first so the new ones fit the same holes.
• Lampshades on existing fixtures.
• Shower heads and curtain rings in the bathroom.
• Switch and socket covers, only if the lease allows and the power is off. If in doubt, leave these alone.

Put every original in a labeled bag, with its screws, and keep it in one box. On move-out day, an hour with a screwdriver puts it all back.

Choose furniture that moves with you

Anything fixed stays behind; anything freestanding comes with you. That’s where to spend.

• A sofa that fits through doors and stairwells, ideally with removable legs or a modular design.
• Freestanding shelving and storage, rather than built-ins.
• Pieces that work in more than one room: a sideboard that could be a TV unit, a bench that works in a hall or at the end of a bed.
• Classic, flexible sizes, not pieces cut to fit one alcove.

Our budget room makeover guide covers which pieces are worth buying secondhand.

Bring color in without painting

If painting is off the table, put color on the things that move.

• Textiles: curtains, cushions, throws and bedding.
• A big piece of art or a large textile hung or leaned on the wall.
• A colored or patterned rug, the largest surface after the walls.
• Plants, in pots that suit the room.
• Removable wallpaper, if your landlord agrees. Test a small piece first: some products lift paint when removed.

If you do get permission to paint, our guide on how to choose paint colors helps you test before committing.

Before

After

The room above keeps its plain walls and wooden floor. Everything that changes it is furniture and decor: a yellow striped rug holding the seating together, cream sofas around a coffee table, open shelving with plants and a TV, framed art and a floor lamp. In a real rental, the new ceiling lights would be the part to ask the landlord about; plug-in pendants or a new shade would give a similar effect.

Small rental rooms

Rentals are often small, so the small space ideas guide is worth reading alongside this one, along with small living room ideas. The short version: light, continuous colors, fewer and better-scaled pieces, furniture on legs, mirrors opposite windows and storage that goes up rather than out.

Moving-out checklist

1. Remove hooks and strips slowly, following the instructions.
2. Fill any nail holes you were allowed to make, if your lease expects it.
3. Put back every original handle, shade and fitting.
4. Clean under where rugs and furniture stood.
5. Compare the rooms with your move-in photos.

Try it in Cozee

Every room in Cozee starts like a rental on moving day: empty, with walls and floor you don’t change. In this free design game for iPhone and Android, you furnish the room with real 3D furniture and decor, so the whole look comes from rugs, lighting, textiles, art and plants. That makes it a good place to practise renter-style decorating. Try making a plain room feel finished with only freestanding pieces, then submit it and see how other players rate it.