By Kaitlin Hurtado

As a renter, you may be struggling to find a living space to call your own that truly feels like a space that reflects you as an individual. For many rental properties, units may be more “bare bones” and equipped with the typical neutral tones, appliances, and so on to make the property appealing to a larger population. Unfortunately, this means that the rental property you end up with lacks the upgrades you want in your living space. 

If you are looking to upgrade your rental, keep reading for apartment upgrades renters can make on a smaller budget. As with any change to a rental property, make sure you are not violating any terms of your rental agreement or consult your landlord before committing to any upgrades to protect yourself and the lease agreement. 

via Pexels

Fresh paint

A fresh coat of paint can dramatically transform a space. For example, your rental property may have come with the walls painted a darker gray or beige, making your living space seem darker and more like a cave. Painting the walls white, or even a lighter beige can help brighten up the space. 

If painting walls seems like too big of a task, consider smaller projects such as painting kitchen or bathroom cabinets to change up the look of the rooms with the larger commitment of painting an entire room. 

Many rentals forbid painting rental units, while some allow it as long as the tenants return the rental unit to their original condition prior to vacating. Make sure to get clarification and confirmation from your landlord prior to any painting. 

Renter-friendly wallpaper

If painting your rental unit is too much commitment for you, you can still transform your walls with some renter-friendly wallpaper. Instead of adding wallpaper to every wall, consider just adding wallpaper to one wall to make it a focal point for an otherwise plain room. 

Wallpaper can also be used to create a kitchen backsplash, adding flair to a standard, boring kitchen. You can also use wallpaper on cabinets or built-in shelving units for pops of color throughout your apartment without doing a larger project of using wallpaper on an entire wall or room. 

Peel and stick flooring

Similar to wallpaper, you can transform your flooring with some peel-and-stick flooring in smaller spaces like your bathroom and kitchen. This can help upgrade areas dramatically if you hate the drab laminate or tiling that the rental unit came with. 

Swap hardware out

Changing out hardware can be a cheap and simple way to transform the look and feel of your apartment and make your rental unit look more cohesive with your personal style. You can consider changing out the hardware such as the following: 

• Cabinet and drawers knobs and handles

• Kitchen and bathroom faucet

• Showerhead

• Toilet paper holder

• Light switches

If you are switching out hardware, make sure to keep the original ones accessible so you can return the rental unit back to its original condition once you are ready to vacate. 

Change lighting fixtures

Similar to the idea of changing hardware out in your apartment, you may want to consider swapping out existing lighting fixtures to better suit your ideal aesthetic. 

Again, make sure you keep the original fixtures so that you can revert back to them prior to vacating the apartment. 

While your attention is on lighting, you may want to consider swapping out the actual light bulbs as well. Smart bulbs or even bulbs that offer more yellow or white lighting can help you have better control of the desired ambiance of your rental home. 

Try curtains 

In general, most rental units will come with some type of window coverings. Unfortunately, these often come in the form of flimsy paper blinds that can often fall off or break with repeated use. These blinds can often clash with your desired aesthetic and often fail to actually block out the sun. 

Solve the issue by hanging up curtains to change the room's look, and maximize the function of window coverings with some blackout curtains. Curtains can be held up with something as simple as a tension rod to make the upgrade cheap and renter-friendly. You can also experiment with different textures and colors to reflect your desired aesthetic better. 

Renting does not mean that you can’t have an apartment that feels like your own. With these small upgrades, you can stick to your budget while being renter-friendly. When in doubt, consider upgrades that are easily reversible, and if you still aren’t sure, do not hesitate to reach out to your landlord.