How to make your rental property seem like your own home

THERE are ways to inject your rental with some personality without compromising your lease, writes CHELSEA CLARK.

THERE are lots of benefits to renting a property rather than owning one. You’re not locked into a mortgage and instead of spending thousands of dollars on upkeep and maintenance, a quick email to your landlord or agent sorts it out.

But turning a rented apartment or house into a place that feels like home can be a little more difficult. Restrictions on what you can and can’t change in a property can sometimes make decorating a rental feel impossible.

Unappealing paint, cheap carpet and the ‘no-hooks-in-the-wall’ rule are enough to turn any renter off but there are a number of things you can do to turn your blank canvas rental into a place that feels like home.

Make sure you have permission first before putting hooks in the wall for pictures.

“Tenants are just like homeowners — they want their home to be a place they love and can feel comfortable,” says home stylist Charyn Youngson from House To Impress.

“Everyone wants to be surrounded by furniture and personal touches and renters are no different, they just have to be a little smarter about how they go about things.”

ALWAYS ASK FIRST:

Knowing your rights and responsibilities as a tenant will help you avoid or resolve any differences you might have with your landlord, housemates or neighbours.

Fair Trading NSW recommends renters seek permission in writing before making any alterations and establish who will be responsible for any costs before work starts.

“When submitting your request, you should try to provide as much information as you can about the change you wish to make to the property,” they advise.

There are plenty of non-permanent things you can do to make your rental feel like home.

“For example, if you wish to install pay television, you should first find out exactly what is required to be done to the property. A landlord may also be more likely to agree
to your request if you use a qualified tradesperson to carry out alterations.”

Charyn says most landlords will agree to any improvements to the property provided they are carried out properly.

“I can’t stress how important it is to get anything you want to do cleared first though,” she says. “Even putting a hook in the wall can be classed as damage when your lease is over if it hasn’t been agreed to by the landlord or property manager first.”

MAKE IT YOUR OWN:

Artwork and photos are some of the easiest ways to personalise your home but just because your apartment doesn’t have hooks in the wall to hang them doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to looking at blank walls for the duration of your tenancy.

“If you ask and your landlord won’t allow you to add a hook to the wall, there are still lots of ways you can add art to your space,” says Charyn.

“Temporary hooks such as the ones made by 3M are a good solution but often, we simply lean an artwork up against a wall on a TV unit or mantelpiece or even use an art easel to display a framed piece.’’