Despite insecurities and limited options, you can still make a rental property feel like home

The number of Australians renting is slowly increasing, but with the ever-present threat of rent rises and evictions, it might seem hard for tenants to make their home feel like, well, home.

A tenant’s approach to their home depends on their location and financial power, according to housing researcher Professor Alan Morris from the University of Technology, Sydney.

His research uncovered an increase in young professionals who enjoyed the flexibility of renting, were confident dealing with landlords, and could afford to find another place if evicted. But families with children weren’t in the same position, as trying to stay close to schools could limit their options. 

“The big problem is the low-income renters,” he said. “They have persistent, extreme anxiety. Their capacity to find another place is quite limited. They’re very worried about antagonising the landlord, they won’t report faults. It’s very difficult for them to create a home.”

“It’s not a uniform experience, it depends on your circumstances,” he said, but added both wealthy people and those less well-off were reluctant to spend money on homes they were renting, as they “could be evicted at any moment”.

Despite the uncertainty, there are some cheap and effective strategies tenants can use to create a sense of home in a temporary space.

Negotiating a longer lease provides security

Edwin Almeida, from Raine and Horne Blacktown, believes the rental landscape is changing, and tenants have the upper hand in areas with rising vacancy rates.

He said agencies were negotiating two to three-year leases to secure tenants. “The tenant can request a longer lease and agree to pay a rental increase on each 12-month anniversary,” he said.

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Having more security affects the way tenants view their options. Creative Director of The Stylesmiths Richard Misso said renters looking to decorate needed to know they’d be able to stay.

“The trick is to make sure you sign a long-ish lease so they can’t kick you out after a year after you’ve made all these lovely improvements,” he said.

Julianne Bull, from The Den Interiors, said landlords would appreciate someone who would look after their property.

She had even worked with a client whose efforts resulted in a tangible financial benefit. “She was obviously really looking after the property – really house proud – so they offered her a reduction in her rent to stay,” she said.

Make smart decorating choices

Ms Bull said choosing furniture to fill a specific spot in your rental property was a mistake.

“Buy furniture items that you love, that you can move around with you, that work with different spaces,” she said.

Mr Misso identified sofas as common culprits. “A lot of the trendy ones are low and have a wide profile,” he said, which made them difficult to move and place in smaller rooms.

He said renters should find out if they can hang artwork, as it adds a personal stamp. If not, oversized artworks could be leaned against a wall. “Leaning, rather than hanging, gives a contemporary edge.”

How to hide the ugly parts of a rental property

Ms Bull said rugs were ideal for disguising a rental’s less appealing features.

“Even with really ugly carpet, you can still lay a rug over it,” she said. “It gives a focal point to the room. And for floorboards – rugs are fantastic, especially in the bedroom.”

Indoor plants can serve a similar purpose. “The colour, the foliage is beautiful,” she said. “They can be really helpful to hide really ugly things like heaters and air conditioners.

“If there’s something you really want to disguise, put something really bright and colourful next it. The eye will be drawn to it.”

Mr Misso said lighting, curtains and blinds could be swapped out to improve a room. “Rental lighting can be quite awful,” he said. “Changing out pendants and lampshades is quick and easy. Store the original ones and put them back when you leave.”

Painting is possible, as are other ‘minor alterations’

Mr Misso said painting a rental was definitely an option, particularly for older, run-down properties.

“It’s quite common to take a selection of paint swatches to get the agent to sign off on them,” he said. 

And paint isn’t the only surface that can be updated. “If you’ve got a kitchen or bathroom with terrible tiles, there are vinyl and lino options that can go right over the top.”

Mr Almeida said tenants who were willing to spend money to update a property signalled to property managers that they would make great long-term tenants.

“As long as the people attending to the work are licensed and both parties can agree on colour and design, our managers don’t see this as a problem,” he said, adding landlords were more concerned about the quality of the work than the colour scheme.

Leo Patterson Ross, from the Tenants Union NSW, said since 2010, tenants in NSW were able to undertake minor alternations, with the landlord’s consent, but a ‘minor alternation’ was difficult to define. He said rules were “a bit murky” around gardens, and a lot of people wound up using pots so they could take their plants with them.