A Rental upgrade entails improving and refurbishing a Rented Apartment to fit a particular taste and to provide a certain level of comfort. It could be as little as repainting the rooms or changing colors and hanging up wall art to breaking down walls and building new ones.

Apart from the upgrades carried out by the owners of the property, particular renovations or upgrades can also be carried out by the tenant with approval from the landlord to make their stay as comfortable as possible.

Companies like Rentola deal with Apartment rentals and can provide information on rental properties that permit upgrades. Rentola offers a direct line of communication between the landlord and the tenant. This way, they can liaise to find the best upgrades for whatever property, down to the littlest detail.

8 Landlord-Friendly Upgrades You Can Get Away With

A lot of people fantasize about what they would like their homes to look like. The kitchen, the rooms, and even the exterior of the house, but they feel that they cannot achieve any of that until they buy and own their property. This is not entirely the case, there are still a lot of ways to upgrade a rented apartment to give it the desired look and feel.

1. Repaint the Walls

Painting the walls of a newly rented apartment is probably the simplest upgrade possible. This is mostly because painting is reversible, the house can easily be painted back to its original color if requested by the landlord.

However, it is very rare to see landlords who prohibit repainting or insist that the house color must not be changed as they are supposed to repaint in between tenants anyways.

2. Install Curtains and Window Blinds

This should go without saying. Landlords do not expect that the windows of the new rental be left bare for neighbors to see in. This gives the tenant no privacy whatsoever. Picking out and hanging up new curtains is another simple way to upgrade the look of a rental property.

If the house already comes with curtains and the colors do not match the aesthetic the client is looking for, he/she has the option of changing them so long as the initial curtains are hung back up as soon as the tenant's rent expires.

3. Hang Up Art

Hanging up art is one of the easiest ways to add life to a room, it could be as small as a picture frame or as big as The Monalisa.

There are a few things to bear in mind when choosing spots to hang up art, like making sure that art pieces hung in the kitchen are far from where they can be damaged by water or heat, using colors that compliment the color of the walls and using a good arrangement style to avoid clustering so many pieces in one place.

To give one’s home a warmer look and a homely feeling, renters can hang up personal pieces of art on the walls.

This can be done by drilling in a few nails to keep the art in place or by making use of several other adhesive hooks, brick clips, or hangers that don't require drilling holes into the walls especially if this is prohibited by the landlord.

4. Replace the Lightning Fixtures and Switch Plates

Even though they may seem insignificant, lights have a way of changing the outlook of a place. Changing light fixtures to more sophisticated and aesthetically pleasing ones can be very satisfying and is also quite easy to carry out to give the home a better look.

Cheap or old-fashioned switchplates on rental properties just do not look the best. To give the interior of the home a more sophisticated look, a renter can opt to change the switch plates to types that maybe add a pop of color, a little more style, or just something neater.

It is important to save the original light fixtures and switch plates so that they can be replaced as soon as the tenants' rental expires to avoid conflict with the landlord.

5. Build Shelves

Just like hanging up art and mirrors, shelves can also be mounted to provide additional storage space and prevent cluttering. It could be in the kitchen, the living room for books, or even in the bedroom.

6. Use Peel And Stick Wallpapers and Lay Down a Rug

If a person decides not to repaint a rented apartment, the best option is to use peel-and-stick wallpapers that match the aesthetic of the home. These wallpapers are easier to use and require less time and effort to put up. They are also easier to remove when moving out of the apartment eventually.

Rugs can also offer a straightforward answer to unpleasant or overused floors. There are a wide variety of rugs one can choose from. Some rugs like jute, bamboo, or woollen rugs are made of natural materials and are quite easy to clean.

There are also several colors, designs, and sizes available for the different areas of the house.

Tenants can easily get rugs that please them, place them wherever they see fit and roll them up, and take the rugs with them when their rent expires.

7. Mount a TV And Install a Sound System

TVs are almost a necessity to give the home a more finished look as well as provide a source of information and entertainment. Mounting a TV and sound system can go a long way in upgrading the optics and also the experience of the renter.

Television sets can as well be easily taken down when the tenant is moving without damaging the walls or any other parts of the building.

8. Paint the Cabinets And Doors

Before painting any doors, wardrobes, or cabinets, especially if formerly unpainted, the renter must clarify with the landlord if they are allowed to.

This is because it is easier to just repaint an already painted piece of furniture and revert it to its previous color than to return a piece of unpainted furniture to its original state.

One could also decide to change door knobs and cabinet handles either to add more color, to install brass handles, or for whatever reason. It is important to ensure that in any case, the original knobs and handles are kept safe and replaced once the lease expires.

Conclusion

Living in a rental apartment does not have to feel like a burden. Renters can still live with decency and dignity in their rented houses by touching them up to meet their taste and comfort requirements without doing anything that would break their lease. Most of these upgrades are inexpensive and produce great results.