How to Make Your Rental Feel Like You (Without Sacrificing Your Security Deposit)

If you’ve ever stood in the middle of your rental bedroom staring at the walls like, “Cool. Love this… aggressive beige… very personality free,” you’re not alone.

Renting can feel like you’re living inside someone else’s idea of “neutral.” And sure, your landlord wants everything exactly as it was in 2009, but you deserve a space that doesn’t feel like a waiting room.

The good news: you can absolutely hang art, do an accent wall, and add some serious cozy vibes—without drilling a bunch of holes and donating your deposit to the Landlord Vacation Fund.

Here’s what actually works (and what will betray you at 3 a.m. with a loud crash).

Before You Stick Anything to a Wall: Do These Two Boring Things

I know, I know. Prep isn’t sexy. But neither is peeling paint off drywall because you got excited and slapped up a frame like you were in a home makeover montage.

Here’s my “don’t regret it later” routine:

• Weigh the thing. Bathroom scale is fine. If you don’t know the weight, you’re basically guessing how much chaos you’re inviting into your life.
• Clean the wall. A little 70% isopropyl alcohol + microfiber cloth. Let it dry. (Yes, even if the wall “looks clean.” Walls are liars.)

Also grab:

• A level (or a level app this is one place where phones actually help)
• Painter’s tape for marking spots
• Command strips/hooks rated for the correct weight

The Rental Wall Reality Check (AKA: Why Adhesives Sometimes Hate You)

Adhesives aren’t magic. They’re picky little divas, and in rentals you’re often dealing with conditions that make them sulk.

Here’s what can wreck your “damage free” dreams:

• Fresh paint (under ~30 days): it can peel right off because it hasn’t fully cured.
• Texture: orange peel / knockdown reduces contact so your strip has less to grip.
• Humidity: bathrooms and poorly ventilated rooms are basically adhesive graveyards.

If you’re unsure, do a sneaky test: stick one strip somewhere hidden, wait 48 hours, and remove it slowly. If paint lifts? Congratulations, you just saved yourself a way bigger headache.

How to Hang Art Without Drilling (The “Please Don’t Fall” Edition)

Let’s match the method to the weight—because this is where most people (me included, in my early “I’m invincible” DIY era) go wrong.

Light stuff (under ~2 lbs)

Posters, small prints, lightweight frames.
Use: small Command strips, poster putty, washi tape if you’re feeling whimsical.

This is your “rearrange 47 times until it feels right” category.

Most framed art (about 2-8 lbs)

This is where medium/large Command strips shine.

If you only take one thing from this post, take this: use strips that are rated higher than you think you need. Your frame might be 6 lbs, but your wall might be textured and moody.

Heavier pieces (8-16 lbs)

This is the “respect the physics” zone. You can sometimes use heavy duty hooks/strips if your wall is smooth and properly prepped—often by stacking multiple strips vertically to spread the load.

If your frame has picture wire, I actually prefer adhesive hooks over strips (the weight pulls in a way that’s usually less dramatic).

Over ~16 lbs

Nope. Just… no. Adhesive is not your friend here.

Do this instead:

• Lean it on a dresser or against the wall (add furniture pads under corners so you don’t chew up baseboards)
• Use a floor easel
• Try a picture ledge situation (installed once, swap art forever)

And please don’t use mirror mastic in a rental unless your landlord is cool with repainting later. That stuff is basically a forever relationship.

How to Make Command Strips Actually Work (Instead of “Work”)

Command strips fail because we’re impatient. That’s it. That’s the tweet.

Do it like this:

• Clean the wall and the frame with rubbing alcohol. Let it fully dry.
• Press firmly for 30 seconds like you mean it.
• Wait 24 hours before hanging weight. (Yes, even if you’re excited. Especially if you’re excited.)
• Remove correctly: pull the tab down along the wall slowly at an angle—don’t yank outward like you’re starting a lawnmower.

If you skip the waiting step, you’re basically scheduling a 3 a.m. jump scare.

Blank Wall Solutions That Don’t Involve Paint (Because: Lease)

Option 1: Peel and stick wallpaper (smooth walls only, please)

If your wall is smooth, peel and stick wallpaper is the easiest “I live here on purpose” upgrade. It’s also repositionable, which is great because lining things up straight is apparently my personal nemesis.

On textured walls, though? It can lift or look weird. Texture is like the enemy of crisp wallpaper dreams.

Option 2: The fabric accent wall (my favorite problem solver)

If you’ve got texture, liquid starch + fabric is weirdly magical. You basically starch cotton fabric onto the wall, smooth it out, let it dry, and it behaves like wallpaper that doesn’t hate texture.

Removal is just re-wetting and peeling.

Is it more work? Yes.
Is it worth it when your walls are bumpy? Also yes.

(And it gives the room this soft, layered look that makes it feel expensive—even if you bought the fabric on sale and you’re proud of it.)

My Favorite “No Wall Damage” Decor Tricks (Because Sometimes Walls Are the Problem)

Lean your art like a casually stylish person

Oversized art, big mirrors, anything you don’t trust on adhesive: just lean it. Instant gallery vibe, zero wall drama.

Put little furniture pads where the frame touches so you don’t scuff things up—future you will be grateful at move out.

Use lighting to make everything look 30% fancier

Lighting is the cheat code for cool room design ideas. Truly.

• String lights with adhesive clips (clip every ~12 inches so they don’t sag like a sad garland)
• LED strips: put painter’s tape on the wall first, then stick the LEDs to the tape—makes removal way less terrifying
• Battery puck lights in closets or on shelves
• Battery sconces by the bed for “boutique hotel,” minus the wiring

Aim light toward the wall for a softer glow. Point it outward and you’ll feel like you’re being interrogated.

Do a gallery wall without spiraling into chaos

Lay it out on the floor first. Take a photo. Then put painter’s tape on the wall to mark corners before you commit.

Also: leave a little space between frames (2-3 inches is plenty) so you can remove things without playing “Operation” with adhesive tabs.

Small Bedroom Updates That Feel Huge (No Tools Required)

If you’re not in the mood to stick a single thing to a wall, you can still make the room feel completely different:

• Swap hardware on dressers/nightstands (keep the originals in a labeled bag—don’t trust your memory)
• Upgrade textiles: duvet cover, a rug with a non-slip pad, a throw you actually like
• Use your windowsill as a mini display (museum putty underneath items keeps them from doing the slow slide of doom)

I’m not a minimalist saint. I just like to declutter and rearrange your bedroom so it feels intentional instead of “temporary storage unit with a bed.”

Move Out: How to Get Your Deposit Back Like a Responsible Adult

Removal is where people accidentally do the damage free stuff… with damage.

Here’s the safe way:

• Find the pull tab and pull it slowly along the wall at an angle (steady tension for 10-20 seconds).
• If it feels stuck, stop and warm it with a hairdryer for a couple minutes. Then try again.
• Residue? Rubbing alcohol usually takes it off. For stubborn sticky bits, warm it a little and roll it into itself with your finger.
• Tiny holes can often be rubbed with a white bar of soap. Bigger ones: lightweight spackle, smooth with a damp finger.

Do a quick wall by wall check before you hand over keys. Take photos (because “it was like that when I moved in” is not a strategy unless you have receipts).

If you want a low stress starting point: pick one lightweight frame tonight, prep the wall, hang it properly, and enjoy the tiny thrill of seeing something on the wall that you chose.

Your rental can be temporary. Your taste doesn’t have to be.