While some tenants may be satisfied to live in whatever, wherever; there are some tenants who are willing to make some cosmetic changes to their rental so that it feels more like their personal home. In a previous article here, we talked about some changes that tenants could make to the kitchen without upsetting the landlord or violating their lease. This week we will discuss some apartment upgrades tenants can make in the bathroom.

Change the Color

Why is it that so many landlords like to paint everything beige? That color is so 1980’s. If you want to personalize the space that we frequent so often, consider simply changing the color. Better Homes and Gardens has some great ideas about how to bring your bathroom up to date. While you will need landlord approval, most landlords will not have any problem with you painting. You might not even have to return it back to beige if the color choice is practical and the paint job is well done.

Put Up Temporary Wallpaper

If you want to go beyond simple paint and take your bathroom walls up a notch, utilize temporary vinyl wallpaper. You could create an accent wall or paper the whole room. While this takes a little skill, the results can be dramatic. This is a great option if the landlord refuses to let you paint.

Swap out the Hardware

You may not pay any mind to those brass hinges and boring sink faucets, but just wait until you change it out for a more modern choice. It can make your bathroom *Pop*. You can upgrade door knobs, towel racks and even the toilet paper holder. If you do not want to have to ask for your landlord’s approval or if you plan to take it with you when you move, make sure you keep the original hardware.

Change the Showerhead

I bet your landlord doesn’t have one of those $5 shower heads that get all clogged and just drizzle water. Well, you shouldn’t have to live with it either. It is amazing how a new shower head can make showering in the morning such a pleasant experience. Showerheads are easy to replace and you can even take it with you when you move – though we would rather you stay.

Add a Free Standing Unit

A bathroom can never have too much storage. Why not add a cute free standing unit. It could be a shelving unit over the toilet or a little cabinet. If you hate the medicine cabinet, you may want to change it out. You can find some nice options at Home Depot, Lowes, or even your local Restore.

Put up Some Artwork

Artwork can completely change the look and feel of a room. You can go traditional with a framed print or photo or you could put up some vinyl wall stickers. This can be a really creative option that adds personality and pizazz to an otherwise boring bathroom.

Replace the Shower Curtain

Your shower curtain is an expression of who you are. It can be a work of art all by itself. There are a ton of expressive artwork in the form of shower curtains on the internet. That one item could be all you need to totally revamp the look of your bath. If your bathroom has a sliding shower door rather than a curtain, why not get creative and put up a decal.

Change the Window Treatments

Are you tired of those boring white blinds? You could leave them there and put a valance over the top. Or why not take them down all together and put up something that suits your particular taste and new color choice.

Replace the Lighting

You do not have to be an electrician to replace the lights. Many ceiling lights are designed in such a way that the cover can be replaced by another without changing the lighting assembly. If you have over the sink lighting, you could change out the ugly bulb-style lights to something more modern. This change will need landlord approval or you will have to save the original lights and put them back when you move out (if the landlord doesn’t like the upgrade). Please hire an electrician if you have little experience in working with electrical matters. We would hate to have you burn down the unit.

Add Crown Molding

There is something about 5 inch crown molding that makes an ordinary room look like a million-dollar residence. The crown molding of today does not even need a miter saw. You can even install the polystyrene variety which weighs virtually nothing.

Put Down a Pretty Rug

If you hate the floor color, just put down a nice floor rug. Bathroom floor areas are so small that a small rug can make it seem like you installed new flooring. Look for rugs that have a rubber back so that you do not slip when getting out of the tub.

There must be one of these tips that you could use to personalize your bathroom. While some of these options require a little bit of out-of-pocket cost, the result could change how you feel about your apartment or rented house. Just remember that if the landlord does not care for your improvements or changes, you will need to return it to the original condition or the cost to do so could be removed from your security deposit. However, we want you to feel comfortable renting from us. We also want you to have the freedom to personalize your space as much as possible. If you do a nice job, I am sure the landlord will love it just as much as you do.

Read more about what tenants can do with their kitchens here….

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