Painting walls, replacing flooring or redoing the interior decor is generally not permitted with an apartment rental. If you are renting a home, there may still be restrictions but you will probably have a bit more leniency in what you want to do, depending on the personality and preferences of the homeowner. There may still be restrictions on what you can do with the home's interior if the landlord does not want to see major modifications of the home.
However, there are some homeowners who would absolutely love it if you improved the house's interior. The latter type of owner may allow the renter a lot of flexibility and independence in their decorating options. How Much Redecorating or Home Improvements Should a Renter Do? Your budget should be the first consideration before you spend anything on improving the rental home. They say that renting is flushing your money down the toilet ... spending a lot of money on improvements is like flushing your money down several toilets. You get nothing back other than improved living conditions or perhaps a grateful landlord who benefits from your money and work.
Some homeowners may allow the renter to make minor decorating changes such as hanging pictures, painting the walls or installing shelving. Extensive decorating work such as installing new flooring, putting in windows or knocking down walls might not be considered acceptable by some property owners. It is possible that the homeowner might approve of this type of extensive work so long as the work is to be done by a someone other than you, such as a professional contractor.
The bottom line, however, is why on earth should you invest money and time in making major improvements to someone else's property when you receive no tax or other benefit? You are better off making do with minor interior decorations and improvements and saving your money for a down payment on your own property. Before Redecorating, Check with the Homeowner The first thing to do is to read your lease. There may be specific prohibitions about painting or other activities in the contract. It is unlikely that the lease will spell out each and every possible type of improvement or redecorating activity, so check with the landlord before making modifications to the rental house. It is a good idea to get a written statement from the homeowner that sets forth the landlord's approval of your modifications. Not Sure What Is Allowed? Then Do Nothing As a renter, if you're not sure whether you can perform a specific decorating activity and you are unable to reach the homeowner, it's best to not make any changes. This will save you a lot of time and money in the long run, especially if the landowner asks you to undo the changes.
Some Inexpensive Decorating Tips Regardless of whether you are renting a home from a person who permits a lot of changes or is very restrictive, there are some relatively inexpensive things that you can do to upgrade the home decor. Best yet, you can keep these improvements and take them to your next home (preferably, the one you buy) instead of spending a lot of money that you will not be able to recoup.
RUGS - If the carpet or tile in the rental home is stained or just plain ugly, cover it up with attractive area rugs or throw rugs.
ART AND PLANTS - If the wall color is hideous and you're not allowed to repaint or change the wallpaper, hide it with some nice artwork. Large, leafy houseplants like Ficus trees add a touch of class to a home and can cover otherwise ugly spaces.
DECORATIVE FURNITURE - Nice furniture will change the look of a rental home. Futons offer an affordable decorating option. Cheap futon covers are available in a variety of colors and patterns that can change the look of a room. Add a few throw pillows for color and the room will look better. If your rental home has tiny little rooms and you are not allowed to knock out walls, futons are practical and decorative furniture options. Use them as a couch or chair by day and a bed at night.
LIGHTING - Play with light to create a sense of ambiance and draw the eye toward art or other features in the room instead of the defects. Traditional lamps, canister lamps or tree lamps can be used to direct light. Just plug them in and don't worry about having to change the light fixtures or having to install dimmer switches.
About the Author: Urbain Beck loves to write ... and also loves the versatility and economy of futons. Begin your rental home redecoration by taking a look at the incredible futon designs that are available nowadays at http://www.futonheaven.com.
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