How can tenants make a rental property feel like home whilst still protecting their deposit?
You can't exactly wait for a property to become available that's decorated just how you want it or that the fixtures and fittings are perfect. If you wait for the perfect house, you might never move, and the world of rented property moves quickly. Hang around too long, and properties will be taken by other, perhaps less picky tenants.
When you move into a rented property, you can't always guarantee that the decor will be precisely what you want or to your taste. You can't exactly wait for a property to become available that's decorated just how you want it or that the fixtures and fittings are perfect. If you wait for the perfect house, you might never move, and the world of rented property moves quickly. Hang around too long, and properties will be taken by other, perhaps less picky tenants.
So compromises will have to be made. You must accept the property and learn to live with it. Most landlords make hardwearing and neutral choices to appeal to a broader market when they put together a rental investment property. This can create a somewhat utilitarian home interior; tenants often want to personalise a property once they move in.
What can a tenant do to a property to make it more 'them' and homely?
The truth is that without permission, there's not much that you can do. The property belongs to the landlord, and they need to know they can still rent it out after you've left. But there are some things that you can do straight away to make yourself feel at home.
- Command strips rather than picture hooks - put your pictures and artwork up around the property using command strips that won't cause damage to the walls like picture hooks will.
- Wall stickers rather than wallpaper - high-quality vinyl wall stickers can add colour and interest to your interior without any lasting damage. Simply peel them off when you leave and clean the walls down with a damp cloth.
- Rugs rather than carpets - As a tenant, you are not likely to pay out for new carpets in a rented property, but if the carpets are not to your taste, consider laying a large rug instead. A rug can move with you when you move out, and the carpet underneath will be protected, too - a bonus.
- Change the curtains - Changing the curtains to match your soft furnishings is an almost instant way to make yourself feel at home. Keep the landlords' curtains safe and then wash and rehang them before you move out to ensure your deposit returns to you.
- Lampshades - Much like curtains, you can increase the homeliness in a rented property by changing the lampshades. You must keep the landlord's lampshades somewhere safe and clean, and they must be put back up properly when you move out.
If the decoration is a little past its best or there is no way to work with the colour scheme, you can ask your landlords for permission to paint. The landlord is not obliged to give you permission, but if they do, you'll most likely be asked to choose neutral colour schemes and/or return the decor to the original state or white emulsion when you move out.
It is essential not to use this permission as carte blanche to decorate the entire property however you like. If you decide to decorate, you must be conscious that you'll have to do it again before you move out and that the decoration's quality must be up to a professional standard. Otherwise, you may find yourself in deep water; the landlord could charge you for a complete redecoration of the property.
Fundamentally, you won't stay in a property long-term if you don't feel at home there, and landlords, on the whole, are looking for happy and settled tenants. Most landlords are open-minded to repainting the property if you request permission and agree to return it to its original state from when you moved in.
Before you consider moving out of your property because it doesn't feel like yours, try these tips and make yourself comfortable. And if you're searching for a new property to rent, don't let the curtains or carpets put you off entirely.
If you're looking for a new rental property, why not register with our team so that they can keep you informed of new properties as they come onto the market. Get in touch today.