20 Renter-Friendly Hacks to Personalize Your Space (Without Risking Move-Out Fees)

As a renter, it can be tricky to personalize your living space and avoid any dreaded move-out charges. You want your house to feel like a home, but you also want to stay within the boundaries of your lease agreement.

In this post, we’ll explore 20 renter-friendly updates that allow you to make your space uniquely yours while avoiding potential charges at move-out. Whether you’re in a studio apartment or a rented family home, you’ll find ways to create a space that feels like home and allows you to easily restore your rental to its original condition and decrease the chance for charges against your security deposit.

Transform Your Space Without Leaving a Mark

1. Removable Wallpaper: Transform walls with peel-and-stick wallpaper. This is great for adding a personal touch without damaging the walls.
2. Adhesive Hooks and Hangers: Ideal for hanging pictures, curtains, or small plants without drilling holes.
3. Plug-In Light Fixtures: Upgrade lighting with plug-in sconces or pendant lights. Easy to install and remove.
4. Window Films: Add privacy and style with removable window films, perfect for bathrooms or street-facing windows.
5. Temporary Backsplash Tiles: Peel-and-stick backsplash tiles can revamp your kitchen without permanent changes.
6. Shelf Liners: Use decorative shelf liners for kitchen and bathroom cabinets for a personalized, damage-free update.
7. Faucet Attachments: Upgrade your kitchen or bathroom by adding a detachable, high-quality faucet sprayer.
8. Removable Decals: Apply removable decals to personalize walls, furniture, or appliances.
9. Stick-On LED Lights: Enhance closet or cabinet lighting with battery-operated, stick-on LED lights.
10. Floating Shelves: Use command strips to hang floating shelves for extra storage and display space.
11. New Cabinet Hardware: Swap out old or dated cabinet hardware for something more your taste
12. Door Wraps: Use removable door wraps to transform doors into artistic or stylish elements.
13. Smart Light Bulbs: Control lighting and ambiance with smart, color-changing light bulbs.
14. Magnetic Appliance Covers: Apply these to appliances for an instant color or style change.
15. Decorative Room Dividers: Create new spaces or hide clutter with stylish room dividers.
16. Temporary Flooring: Use interlocking floor tiles or removable carpet tiles to upgrade your floors.
17. Stretch Ceiling Fabrics: Install stretch fabric ceilings for a dramatic effect without damage.
18. Fresh Paint or Accent Wall: Easily express your style with a new paint color in a room or accent wall (but be sure to ask for the original color in case you have to repaint before you move out)
19. Removable Stair Decals: Decorate staircases with removable stickers or decals.
20. Indoor Plants: Add life and color with a variety of indoor plants in stylish, non-damaging pots.

Transforming a rental property into a personal sanctuary doesn’t have to be a dream. With these 20 renter-friendly updates, you can infuse your unique style into every corner of your home while keeping your security requirement safe (but be sure to double check your lease agreement and check with your property manager!)

Remember, the key to successful rental customization is choosing reversible and non-damaging solutions. From the simplicity of removable wallpaper to the clever use of smart lighting, each of these ideas offers a practical yet stylish way to personalize your space. We hope this guide inspires you to experiment with your decor and make your rental feel more like a home.

If you’d like to refer your current or past landlord to Obligo for the ability to get unlock your security deposit to use for updates to your home, head to this page!