5 Ways to Make Your Rental Feel Like Home
Renting gives you flexibility and freedom, but it can also feel like you’re living in someone else’s house. This is especially true when the walls are beige and you’re not allowed to paint or renovate. The good news? There are ways to inject personality into your rental and make it feel truly yours without upsetting your landlord.
Here are five renter-friendly tricks to make your place feel more like home
Add personality with textiles
Think rugs, curtains, cushions, and throws. These can completely transform a bland space into something warm and inviting.
A bright rug can add a pop of colour, while layered throws and cushions create comfort and style. Best of all, textiles move with you when you leave — so it’s an investment in your style, not the property. Plus a rug can be a great way of protecting the carpet so there’s no chance of losing that deposit.
Make the most of wall art (without drilling)
Bare walls are one of the quickest giveaways that you’re in a rental. Luckily, there are plenty of landlord-friendly ways to hang things up.
Command hooks and strips mean you can put up prints, mirrors, or photo walls without damaging the paint. You could even lean large frames or canvases against the wall for a more relaxed vibe.
Switch up the lighting
Most rentals come with uninspiring ceiling lights, so don’t underestimate the power of lamps. Floor lamps, table lamps, and even fairy lights instantly add warmth and atmosphere.
A cosy glow in the evening makes a huge difference compared to stark overhead bulbs. And who wants to use the big lights?!
Bring in plants (real or faux)
Plants are the ultimate home-maker. They add life, colour, and a calming feel to any room. If you don’t have the best track record with greenery, faux plants are your friend (and ikea are great for them!) So many fake plants look realistic and still give the same homely vibe.
Style with your everyday items
Sometimes it’s the little touches that make the difference. Display your favourite books, stack pretty storage boxes, or keep a stylish tray for your coffee station. Even practical items like blankets, mugs, or storage baskets can double as décor.
When your things are on show, it feels less like ‘a rental’ and more like your space.
Peel and stick tiles/ coverings
Now you do need to be careful to do your research for ones that can be pulled off easily. But peel and stick tiles can help transform your bathroom, or kitchen. And you can even get coverings for things like kitchen cabinet doors.
Making a rental feel like home
It isn’t about big renovations — it’s about clever little tweaks that reflect you. With a few smart changes, you can create a cosy, personalised space you love coming back to at the end of the day.
If you’ve rented what hacks did you use on your home?
11 responses to “5 Ways to Make Your Rental Feel Like Home”
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Rhian Westbury
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I really liked this, especially the ideas around adding personal touches to make a space feel more like you. Even owning my home, it’s those little cosy details that make all the difference day to day.
Corinne x
I loooove the insights, they’re very helpful. Lighting is something I’ve been wanting to upgrade; that’s going to be my Summer project.
These are such great tips. It can be hard to make a rental feel like home, especially if there are a lot of restrictions. This is great!
These are so helpful, it’s so hard to make a rental feel like home. But reading all these makes it feel like home a little.
These are great ideas for renters. When I was renting a long time ago the landlord did let us paint etc – but we had to repaint once we moved on, so adding temporary touches is a far better idea.
I changed out all the lights on my rental and it really made a difference! These are some fantastic tips.
These ideas are certainly helpful to add a personal touch to rental properties. Some can look so cold initially but additions like real plants, blankets, cushions etc can go a long way to make them look far more homely and inviting.
These are great ideas , we currently rent and are always looking for new ways to make our home feel like ours , without spending too much much money
Thank you very much for these tips on making any rentals feel like our home. Super helpful.
My daughter is away at college and has tried to add personality to her apartment. While she has used command hooks for hanging posters, I should tell her to add a potted plant. Great tips!
So many great tips, but my favorite one is styling it with my everyday items. I travel often, so this tip has come handy many times for me now. Oh, and switching up the lighting is another one. Great overview!