Renting provides many advantages over homeownership, including the affordability factor. You are not responsible for paying the repairs, maintenance, or other issues that arise. You are also not responsible for property taxes, insurance, and other potential unforeseen expenses. One of the downsides of renting however, are the strict regulations regarding your freedom in altering the design aesthetic of your home. Many landlords prohibit tenants from altering their rental property, especially if it involves architectual details, paint, or other design experiments which cannot easily be detached when your lease expires. It's still possible to have a creative and fun experience decorating your rental, while appeasing your landlord's property regulations. Discover five creative and temporary ways to decorate your rental property, while staying on good terms with your landlord.
1. Personalize Light Fixtures
Unique and contemporary light fixtures add personality to any room. If you want your rental to appear more stylish, feel free to swap your builder grader light fixtures for a more appealing option. Try installing a luxurious chandelier, vintage fixture, or modern sky lights. Just remember to store the old light fixture in a safe place, and have the original light fixture installed again before moving out.
2. The Crowning Moment
The lack of crown molding next to the ceilings, baseboards, and around the windows of an apartment can make the property look incredibly drab and characterless. Design experts recommend purchasing beautiful molding which fits your style preferences, and install it using Velcro with adhesive backing. Installing crown molding around doorways and windows instantly gives the space a polished look.
3. Window Decor
Apartments with standard mini blinds often give the property a bland and routine appearance. The great news is, it's very easy to pop those standard blinds out of their brackets and replace them with elegant Roman shades or honeycomb blinds. Another alternative to drab blinds, is covering them with elegant curtains. Design experts recommend getting a tension rod to mount inside the window frame to prevent drilling a hole in the wall. There are endless amount of stylish curtain options, include long Parisian curtains which drape elegantly on the floorboards.
4. Garden Wall
Beautiful plant walls are an overlooked trend used universally. Although plant walls offer a dramatic change in the design aesthetic of your home, they do not require you to make any large-scale changes to your rental unit. Popular style plant walls include shelves full of leafy greens, hanging plants on ropes and pullies, or a wall of succulents planted in salvaged frames.
5. Renter-Friendly Wallpaper
If your rental walls are bland and unappealing, design experts recommend decorating with removable wallpaper. As removable wallpaper is becoming more popular, the designs are becoming even more refined and affordable.
Most of the millennial generation is composed of long-term renters who are not prepared or qualified to purchase property anytime soon. These short-term renters expect instantaneous service and flexibility when renting property. Millennials desire flexibility in their living arrangements, in case they decide to transfer colleges, or move for a relationship or job. Consider alternatives to a 12 month lease agreement if you intend on attracting and satisfying the millennial generation.
The average millennial spends 12 hours a day consuming media, often multiple forms at once. What this research means for property managers is important. Today, most businesses spend their marketing budgets, even those geared toward social media, primarily on sending out advertising messages. Integrating advertising and technology is becoming necessary to stay relevant and successful. Keep tenants updated on your apartment complex with social media posts. Furthermore, consider employing a social media manager to publish valuable real estate content on your social media platforms, to attract the attention of college students and millennials searching for a new apartment rental. Building an online community for your apartment complex will allow renters to quickly communicate any questions or concerns.
Create an engaging, modern website to advertise your open units and give detailed descriptions of your apartment rentals. This will attract renters, while also showing them your modern approach to property management. Furthermore, allow renters to apply online and pay rent electronically, and let renters make maintenance requests online. Whenever possible, utilize the millennial preferred commutation methods of email and text message.
Along with flexibility and fast service, the millennial generation appreciates efficiency when searching for the right living arrangements. To bring more efficiency to your apartment units, use compact fluorescent or LED lights in common areas, upgrade units with energy-efficient appliances, offer recycling services on site, and use programmable thermostats in common areas to maintain low expenses. Other creative ways to bring efficiency to your apartment complex include insulting your property to reduce cold drafts and low utility bills, and adopt solar panels, wind power, or another source of renewable energy.
Many college students come from different states and countries, and will appreciate feeling a sense of community in their condominium association. To make your rental properties more community-oriented, introduce community parties, move-nights, and social hours. Documents photos from the events to post online and engage with renters through social media channels. Also try introducing a virtual bulletin on your real estate property's website, where residents can engage and connect with each other. Show photos of community events, amenities, and local events on your website.
