10 ideal tips to rock your rental

A rented home does not, however, have to demoralise your decorating spirit.

You will spend at least a year or more here, so you need to be happy and comfortable in it.

The home should, therefore, be an expression of brilliant and glorious you.

Landlords give rules that limit the number of things you can do to the house.

Some say the walls should never be drilled, never be painted a different colour, or the wall to wall carpet should not be interfered with, among other conditions.

So, how do you personalise it, albeit temporarily, and still keep your landlord happy?

Wallpaper: These can be an expensive investment, which must be removed before you move out. If you must use them, get the removable ones. Otherwise, you can settle for wall decals, which are a great way to add your unique style to your home without offending the landlord.

Bookshelves: Let your bookshelves be the focal point in a room. Cover it with adhesive paper or paint it in a striking colour. Arrange the books in a creative way and add some knick-knacks to make it stand out.

Creative storage: You may not be able to fix cabinets in a rental house; but you can get creative with storage if you don’t have enough space in your rented home. Bar carts, moveable kitchen islands and Ottomans with hidden compartments could offer a solution to storage.

Statement rugs: These will save you the agony of having to live with ugly floor tiles or wall-to-wall carpets. They are a great way to cover imperfect floors.

Furniture: Your walls are painted plain white, making the room look dull. Paint a coffee table a bright yellow or your dining sideboard red. Am not saying that all pieces of furniture should be painted bright but a surprising pop of colour makes all the difference. Invest in furniture you

love: If you can afford it, buy it now. Some people say they will buy quality furniture when they move into their own homes. Unless you are sure you are moving into your house within a few months, why torture yourself with boring furniture?

Tile tattoos: Get temporary stickers and decals and stick on the dull tiles in the bathroom and kitchen to hide the old school design tiles.

Knobs: Customise the boring knobs by getting what you love, and keep the original ones safe for replacement when you move out.

Accent wall: Paint an accent wall in a bold colour instead of an entire room for your room to pop. When it’s time to move out, you will only have one wall to paint over.

Bed set: Invest in decorative bed sets of bright colours or unique designs. A boring bed set plus a room you can’t paint or remodel leaves your bedroom feeling drab. Some decorative throw pillows or a throw blanket tossed on the bed will add more colour.

Lighting: Most people overlook lighting even in homes they own. Offer your rented home a brighter space by investing in statement lighting. A gorgeous chandelier to replace the boring bulb light on your living room ceiling will add colour. If you can afford, invest also in unique table and floor lights.

Wall hangings: Do not fear to make a few holes on the walls as long as you will fix them before you move out. Blank walls can be depressing. Hang some artwork and photos to give life to your home. Wall mirrors are also a great way to make a small room feel larger.

Curtains: Get beautiful curtains to cover ugly windows. With everyone doing China, curtains have become quite affordable.