The rental mentality is one of the things that keeps renters living in spaces that do not feel like home.
I cannot paint. I cannot put holes in the wall. I cannot change the fixtures. I cannot do anything permanent. And so renters often do nothing at all and spend years in spaces that feel like they belong to someone else because technically they do.
I want to push back on this.
What you can always do regardless of tenancy rules
You can cover every surface that bothers you. A rug over ugly flooring. A throw over a couch you do not love. A tablecloth or runner over a table that does not suit you. Fabric changes everything and fabric is always removable.
You can add light. Lamps that belong to you, that you will take with you when you leave. The overhead light that came with the apartment is a suggestion, not a sentence.
You can fill the space with living things. Plants change the atmosphere of a room in a way that is almost unfair. You own them. They come with you.
You can put things on shelves and surfaces that are meaningful to you. Books you love, objects from places you have been, photographs in frames you chose. These things do not require permission from a landlord.
For the walls
Command strips have transformed renting. You can hang frames, mirrors, artwork, shelves, without a single hole. They hold more weight than you expect and they come off without damage if you follow the instructions properly.
A large mirror leaning against a wall requires no fixing at all and dramatically changes the sense of space and light in a room.
The deeper thing
You deserve to live in a space that feels like it is for you, even if you do not own it. The temporary nature of a rental is not a reason to not invest in where you live right now.
You live here now. Make it somewhere you want to come home to.
