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Painting walls, replacing flooring or redoing the interior decor is generally not permitted with an apartment rental. Renting a home affords more opportunity to change the interior decor, 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. Some homeowners prefer a renter who will fix up the interior of the home. After all, the repairs and upgrades will enhance the home's value. The latter type of owner may allow the renter a significant latitude in their decorating options.

How Much Redecorating or Home Improvements Should a Renter Do?

As a renter, your first consideration should be your budget. About the only benefit you will receive is living in more pleasant surroundings, but other than that, you get no tax or other benefit by spending money on the landlord's house.

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 landlords. 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 pay a lot of money in making major improvements to a home that you do not own 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 Spending Money on Redecorating Your Rental Home, Check with the Homeowner

Reading and understanding your lease is the first thing you need to do. The landlord may have specifically prohibited certain interior decorating activities, such as replacing carpet or doors. It is unlikely that the lease will spell out each and every possible type of improvement or redecorating activity, so check with the homeowner 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.

If It's Iffy, Just Don't Do It

As a renter, if you're not sure whether you can perform a specific decorating activity and you are unable to reach the property owner, it's best to not make any changes. Being cautious will save you time and money in the long run, particularly if the landowner asks you to undo the changes.

Some Easy Decorating Tips

Regardless of whether you are renting a home from a homeowner who permits a lot of changes or is very restrictive, there are some quick things that you can do to upgrade the interior of your rental house. Best yet, you can keep these improvements and take them to your next home (preferably, the one you buy) instead of investing in someone else's home that will not benefit you in the long haul.

RUGS - If the flooring in the rental home is stained or just plain ugly, cover it up with area rugs or throw rugs.

ART AND PLANTS - If the wall decor 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 FURNISHINGS - Furniture can change the look of a rental home. An affordable option is a futon. You can get cheap futon covers in a variety of colors and patterns that can change the look of a room. Spice your futons up with some colorful throw pillows and the room will take on a whole new appearance. Futons are excellent furnishings for small, cramped rooms. 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. Tree lamps or canister 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.