Rental sweet rental: how to decorate your rented home

With property prices soaring, more and more people are stuck in rented houses when they would rather own, but a bit of creativity can help to turn your rental into a home
Linda Feldman's wallpapered board
Blogger Linda Feldman has wallpapered a wooden board and placed it behind the kitchen table. Photograph:

Renters have had a miserable time of it lately. We're stuck in dangerous houses with no rent controls, run by dodgy estate agents. Most of us have at least one horror story ranging from mouse infestations to landlords who refuse to return deposits. Many of us are desperate to buy our own houses, but those dreams recede as property prices rocket and wages stagnate. In short, the chances of being able to afford to buy a house slip from slim to none. 

But before I induce mass renters' misery, it isn't all bleak. Over a decade of renting in London, I have found as long as I have a decent landlord (and I realise that's a big "if") it's possible to enjoy the best of both worlds; not having to pay to replace a broken boiler or washing machine while still creating a cosy home.

Some landlords are extremely particular about what you're allowed to change, but others don't mind – so don't assume either way. Renters Faye McNulty and Havva Basto from Brockley, London, are stuck in the rental market due to the high cost of deposits. "When we moved in all the walls had wacky colours on them and all the curtains had holes in them and were stained." But it had potential. "We made our own curtains, painted rooms and had the fireplace checked and cleaned for use. We also landscaped the garden transforming a weedfest into a lawn, flowers, herbs and veg." Some may begrudge paying for work in a house they don't own, but, if you know you're likely to live there for a few years and it will make doing so more enjoyable, then why not make a house feel like a home? Here are some of my best tips:


Of course, if you find living in someone else's house mildly depressing, then being surrounded by their furniture is probably the miserable cherry on the cake. I prefer non-furnished properties that I can slowly fill with furniture to my tastes, and to my budget. Car boots, antique markets and charity shops are great places to pick up affordable furniture, while another option is to ask for a property to be part-furnished, specifying what you do and don't want. The landlord might say no, but you never know.

Get creative

If you are stuck with the home-owner's furniture, you can always change the soft furnishings. Interiors blogger and author Will Taylor from Bright.Bazaar blog says: "In every rented property I've lived in, I've always made my own curtains and knocked up some throw pillows to cheer up the sofa. Having curtains you've made yourself in fabrics that detail colours and patterns that are personal to you will always make a rented space feel more like your own." 

Use wallpaper

Hannah Bullivant's wallpaper hung by ribbon
Ribbon-hung wallpaper

There are clever, impermanent, ways to introduce wallpaper into your rental. Thread some ribbon through the centre of the roll then hang it from the top of the wall, in a low traffic spot. A sturdier alternative is to paste wallpaper on to tall wooden boards and stand them behind a table or sofa.

Introduce colour

"If you have a good relationship with your landlord, ask them if they would be happy for you to paint, as long as you paint it back to the original colour before you leave," suggests Taylor. "If you don't wish to invest so heavily, consider painting a door or doorframe in a surprise accent colour instead. Not only is this cheaper and quicker (you will use much less paint) but it's also a quirky and interesting way to bring colour into a scheme."  

Consider decals

Triangle decals from UW Decals are on Hannah Bullivant’s lounge walls
Triangle decals from UW Decals on Hannah Bullivant’s lounge walls. Photograph: Hannah Bullivant

Temporary wall decals offer a form of decoration that is totally changeable. The simple modern designs from UW decals are available in an assortment of fashionably angular shapes. Taylor recommends removable wallpaper by Photo Wall. "It offers a pre-pasted, 'stick-on-peel-off' wallpaper that can be taken down without leaving any marks on the wall."

Display art and photos

An obvious suggestion, but doing so can really make a difference. If you have picture rails, you can hang and re-hang pictures to your heart's content. If not, Command does a range of no-hole picture hanging strips. Charlotte Love suggests framing fabrics and vintage scarves: "I invested in a picture ledge from Ikea. It's a great way of presenting your favourite prints & artwork, and it also minimises the holes in your walls."  

Hannah blogs at

Do you have any top tips for making a rented place feel more loved and lived in? Please share them below.
