I totally agree! I've lived in the same apartment for about 7 years and have made it home. Except for major renovation, there isn't much I would do differently if I owned the place. I've recently toyed with the idea of buying cheap--but nice--faucets for my kitchen and bathroom. The ones I have now are old and gross. I thought I could buy new ones and take them with me when I go.

Buy a few plants. They're cheap, add color, and instantly make a place feel homier. You can always give them away when you move.

Although we've only been renting our place for 10 months, the number one thing that has made it feel like home is the fact that we started a garden in the little back patio. Because we claimed and tended a plot that nobody cared about, it truly feels like our property and our home, and the neighbors are impressed as well!

I've been in my rental for 15 years.

I agree w/ all the above except for the moving boxes:
Just get rid of 'em.

As far as lighting - not only can you swap out light fixtures, but replacing plain switches with dimmers goes a long way towards making your place feel less institutional and more like home.

Notice what items bother you and fix them. Otherwise, after a few weeks you'll learn to live with them, but they'll actually bother you every single day but on a tiring, subconscious level.

Thank you for the reminder to get rid of "the box". "The box" has been staring me in the face for awhile now.

You forgot the most important rule: don't move every 12 months. I think a lot of people jump into apartments with the same reckless abandon they enter into some personal relationships. Take the time to find the right place and stick with it. No place is perfect, but if you are smart in your search and give yourself enough time, you can find a place that will make you comfortable and happy in the longer term. And when you do, all of the expenses involved in improving the place prove to be very very little when divided over the number of years you enjoy them.

It took me a little over 4 months of searching to find the apartment I currently live in. I had my hardwood floors redone shortly after I moved in. 12 years have passed and they still look fantastic. The cost amounted to $8.50 more per month over the time I have lived here. Worth every penny.

Some great advice, but also a few odd bits:
>keep the moving boxes???
depressing, dusty, and screams "TRANSIENT!"
>Why keep referring to it as "your rental home"?
counterproductive to your article?

And good point, home body!

I totally agree about investment pieces -- particularly art. My family moved a lot when I was a kid, but each place always felt like "ours" once we had our special things.

We just bought our first place and moved OUT of our rental - And finally got rid of many of "those boxes". It was such a cleanse.

Temporary? Obviously not a New Yorker. Once we New Yorkers find a rental we love, we tend to stay. (we tend to stay even if we DON't love it...)

Yeah, I gotta disagree re: the boxes too. Keeping them around will just add to the temporary feel of renting and reinforce the fact that you aren't really in "your own" space.

I am on this wagon. I resisted painting and finally after 5 years I painted a few rooms and it made all the difference in the world. I also took out some of the bad 80's track lights and put up fixtures that look much better and would have no issue leaving when I will move eventually someday.

I am all for leaving a place or space better than it was before you arrived. That goes for camping, vacation rental or just having dinner at a friends house.

littlecat I know what you mean I have a friend that has the most amazing apartment in santa monica, ca now for 18 years, she will die there and hopefully will it.

This post clearly isn't for New Yorkers. We get it. You're special and totally unlike the other 99% of americans. But for those of us in our 20s who are moving for jobs and finding our footing, if not our down payments, this is helpful. And yeah, it took too long to learn about the boxes. Now I keep them under the bed. I never see them, but when I move I am so glad I have them.

I'd also reco rugs. Even on carpet (yeah, some people hate) because it's yours, not the cheap generic apartment carpet. Rugs do for your rental what they do for a home, warm it from head to toe :)

Oh, agree with alouishus about rugs. I bought a beautiful berber rug from a warehouse and it's one of the first things people compliment when they visit.

Paint if you can; if not use curtains to line a whole wall as a backdrop. This works well for behind a bed as well.

Not to be a naysayer, but I'd also say ixnay on the oxesbay. I understand that roaches like to eat/breed in cardboard. Getting rid of cardboard boxes was actually a condition of tenancy at a previous apartment (in New York even!), supposedly because of the roach thing.

I've never had to buy boxes in the last 5 or so moves, someone's always unloading them on Craigslist or at the grocery store. Those may be just as oldy moldy as the ones you would have kept, but at least they're not hanging around under your bed.

I dunno... I'm looking at the end of my 12 month lease, and wishing to god we hadn't painted, and glad I don't care about my enormous-but-old-and-sort-of-ugly sectional sofa, so I can sell it if need be. And filling the nail holes in the last past genuinely ended in tears. It was bad. Also, I get those boxes out of the house ASAP... I store actual things under the bed (purses), under the couch (posters I've swapped out), etc. Boxes just take up space -- I list them on craigslist, free to anyone who will come take them away.

Saving the moving boxes under the bed? That just seems gross, plus my cat likes to hang out there. What I did was throw them out or offer them to someone who could use them. If I plan to move again...I'll use boxes from the office...like I did the last time I moved.

Why would you keep your moving boxes? There's just a reminder of how you'll be moving again... I think that's the opposite of the point of this post, isn't it?

Get rid of the boxes. Roaches like to eat the glue.

I wish this site had been around a dozen years ago. I rented an apartment for ten years and didn't do ANYTHING to it. I hated that place.

My next place, I'M DOIN' STUFF!!

I still have The Box. Its full of clothes. I recently went through it looking for my bathing suit and found 4 pairs of jeans... 2 of which I hate and gave to goodwill... and a bunch of tshirts. I've been wondering for 4 months now where all of my clothes are, but have been dreading opening that box.

I agree about the light fixtures - I took the same beautiful iron chandelier with me to three different apartments and loved it in each one. Also, no one has mentioned it, but I think window treatments are so important - I've covered hideous old vertical and Venetian blinds with new curtains in my last two apartments. Finally, my books! I love unpacking and rearranging them.

And I have The Box too. I swear it's not coming with me the next time I move.

An easy and affordable way to make it feel "yours "- buy some essential oil and burn it - mixed with water - in a burner - so it can smell like home even from the very first day..( I like a mix of lemon, rosewood and lavender oils) http://www.spiritualscents.com/eshop/10Browse.asp?Category=Burners:Essential%20Oil%20Burners

I just moved... last week actually, and I've already gotten rid of the boxes. They were free... paying for boxes is something I have never done. I passed mine on to someone who is moving at the end of this month. I signed a 12 month lease, and I am painting the whole place this weekend, plus I've already changed out the handles and drawer pulls in the kitchen and gotten rid of the "boob" lights in the place.

yeah, I don't own it, some would say I'm wasting my money, but when I'm finished, I'll love it and that's worth it to me. Plus, it's a condo that I'm renting and the updates I've done will improve the overall value of the place, so the landlords don't have any complaints. They are nice people, not all landlords would be ok with everything I've done.
I'd probably do it anyway though, and just put it back when I went to move out.

I'm living in my NY apt for 5 years now. It's kind of small but I love it. I painted all white and use lots of colors for accent. I kept some of my boxes, just in case, and it's been very useful at times. I hide them behind the couch and I never had roach problems so far. I have only a couple left...

What I like to do right away in all my rentals is to change the toilet seat. I like it to be red! I also use plants, change the light fixtures and add more lamps to create different moods, since the natural light varies so much over seasons.

My hubby and I currently rent and have been in the place for just over a year. We've been given the go-ahead to paint, but have really stalled on actually doing it (especially since we were told to "only use pastels" - yuck, no thanks).

The biggest jump for us in actually fixing it up has been knowing that we want to move overseas. And while we both enjoy our apartment, we don't want it get too comfortable because when the time comes, we want to be able to part company with it quickly (and hopefully with few years shed over the beautiful 50 year old original parquet flooring).

We always put up art, hang our own window coverings, and immediately light up some beeswax candles and cook a big aroma-filled meal to get over that just been repainted smell and swap it out with what is entirely more homey. I'm also considering getting laminate sheet tile to apply over the current kitchen and bathroom stuff, someone made a giant mess with the wood sealants and it has looked like we have dropped giant buckets of honey (which always elicits looks of sheer terror when the cleaning company we use sends someone new).

I'm getting some fantastic ideas though to change it up without putting too much investment into it!

I'm in my late twenties and have just finished my masters so have been moving around a lot in the last 10 years, an average of once every two years. I dislike moving as much as any other guy but discovered that keeping empty boxes packing material really does prove convenient, like when I sell stuff on eBay and need to ship it, when I leave clothes/books out on the curb for the local charity to pick up, when I move out again (hopefully this time will be more permanent!) Of course I don't keep the boxes in plain view - I then hide them in a closet. A method I find which works very well is to start with the largest box and fit progressively smaller boxes inside (like a Russian doll), saving lots of space. Never had cockroach or rodent problems.

Saving boxes also makes me feel more environmentally friendly. :-)

Some landlords don't like you to change out the light fixtures - the management company here forbids it. Luckily they all are fairly new and very livable. I like my lamps anyways.

I do hang stuff - but I think most landlords would pitch a fit if they saw a wall like the bottom picture. You just ruined the whole dang wall. You shouldn't hang a lot unless you are using small tacks since they are not your walls to destroy.

Beyond that, mostly good tips though I do admit to having a box or two of things I didn't unpack. One is full of art and pictures I'll hang when I own the place I live and the other is mementos that I don't see unpacking.

dreka - me too! First item is always new toilet seats! A top to bottom thourough cleaning has always made a new place feel like it was mine. Being on your hands and knees with cleaner and a toothbrush tends to really make a place "yours".

I've always left my apartments in better shape than when I found them, and have never felt like I was throwing away money. Most landlords are happy to pitch in or take the costs off of the rent that month.

I entirely agree with keeping your moving boxes.

I'm assuming those confused about that point are those with tighter quarters (New Yorkers, studio apartment dwellers, those without extra storage).

I recently moved into a one bedroom in Chicago with a huge hall closet and a storage locker in the basement. My moving boxes are all going to go into some jumbo garbage bags, and will sit in the basement until I next need them.

We've moved tons. About 9 times in the last 6 years for various reasons (military and fixed income being those reasons). It took until this last move to get these tips down pat though LOL. I must say GREAT post! I agree with most of the tips and comments. Rugs, artwork/pictures, lighting (although that is my endeavor now because we haven't invested in that yet LOL) furniture that you will keep, painting the walls (although we haven't because we usually aren't there long enough to spend that $50 to turn around and paint again), and especially the unpack EVERYTHING! We do keep "the box" though. It is one of those big plastic totes and it stays in the garage we usually have. It stores the extra decor items. The window treatments that don't fit in this house but do in another, the extra curtain rods, picture frames for lack of wall space or extra wall space, etc. etc. But that is our circumstance. I would so get rid of it, if it weren't for the constant moving. I do get rid of the boxes we used to move though. It wouldn't feel like home if I had to store them, and with a craigslist and freecycle around and various stores to give/receive boxes it isn't necessary. The other piece of advice I have to add to the furniture thing is to buy transient and convertible items, if you move often, that you will keep. My favorite pieces of furniture are limited edition walnut color cubbies from the Closits company. They've been everything from the current night stands, to an entertainment center, to actual clothes and shoe storage, to stools/seating, to a coffee table! 6 years and still going strong and looking great! To add to the list...make sure you have a craigslist, freecycle or something like them around you. You can get rid of clutter, acquire new things to make the place your home, and trade those "family gave it to me and it's not my style" stuff so you can get those furniture pieces you love and will keep. And last but not least, do bring something from "home". That family heirloom piece that you LOVE, even if it really isn't an heirloom. I don't care what your style is! A place will always feel like home if you have part of the family in it!

I've been a renter (outside of NYC) for the last 16 years. 16 years and 10 apartments - the last 7 years in two apartments in the same building. I love renting. Here are my tips for a happy rental existence.

(1) Don't rent something you wouldn't buy. Honestly. People will look for months for a home to buy, but only a day or a weekend for a place to rent. Do research and hit the pavement. Talk to friends. The best places are often the hardest to find, the worst, the easiest.

(2) Make it your own. Paint the walls. Hang your pictures. Put down your rugs, take down the blinds and put up curtains. Avoid the overheads and buy lamps.

(3) For long-term renting, find a friendly place to settle down. A good landlord or managment company who fixes things when they break. Good neighbors make apartment living a joy. Tenant friendly city ordinances that protect you from large rent increases. Try to find a place where you could get a pet even if you don't have one now.

Agree with everything but the moving boxes (like someone else said).

If you're going to live in a place for 2, 3, 4 or 10 years ... hell, even one year, just throw the boxes out.

Boxes collect dust, and if you live in a small space, that under-bed storage could be better used for shoes, totes with your winter/summer clothes, etc. Also, I'm not sure if this is scientific, but whenever I'm moving, I find cockroaches. For some reason, they love cardboard. It baffles me. Similarly, if you're moving into a new place that's been renovated, it's likely you'll have a bug problem for a bit.

We have lived in our apartment )in a turn-of-the-century farmhouse) since 1996. For the first 13 years, we did nothing to the apt. and I agree with home body - I was deeply resenting my space. I got together with my very cool landpeople (who live in the apartment below ours) and over the past 3 years we are slowly but surely renovating and updating. We are buying quality fixtures and paint, and not charging back to our landpeople: we figure since they haven't raised our rent in 13 years, it's the least we can do. We don't have any plans to move in the near future, so I know we'll be around to really enjoy our work.

Anyone know where the chairs & table in the "hang artwork" photo come from?

I think the most important point is to take care of a rental as you would if you were an owner.
Don't let the stove get gross. Clean out under the sink. Polish any wood or tarnished metal. Fix or get the landlord to fix broken windows, hinges, running faucets, etc.

It's about self respect--why would you want to live in a dump?

Upon graduating from college, I moved four times in two years. Believe me: I kept the cardboard boxes. Then my sweetie and I bought a house -- and the cardboard promptly went out in the garden to suppress weeds under our veggie beds.

"(2) Make it your own. Paint the walls. Hang your pictures. Put down your rugs, take down the blinds and put up curtains. Avoid the overheads and buy lamps."

Read your lease - most forbid taking down the blinds. The best you can do is pull them all the way up all the time.

Now I completely agree to keep moving boxes - there's always a place you can store them (under a bed, back of closet, trunk of car, etc. I just think more people should not change their rental because if and when the landlord finds out, you could be evicted.

i love that wall paper in the first pic, i love trees...

Has anyone had a landlord freak out for doing something not allowed in the lease, even if it's totally reversible?

I desperately want to do a chandelier in the place we're moving to, but wouldn't you know, this is the first lease that expressly forbids changing the light fixtures.

(There's way too much that's awesome about the apt for me to get too hung up about the chandelier deal, btw.)

Anyone have any stories? Or did you find a way to negotiate?

@Chester Shoeshine, this is probably bad of me, but I tend to not ask and just plough ahead - SO FAR not had a problem.

I adopted this policy because one time I rented this CHEAP, slummy room in a shared house while I was studying, and wanted to make the best of it, remove the broken blinds, paint over the damp stains etc... the landlord was absentee type and the agents told me absolutely no - only AFTER I'd signed the lease & done the deposit etc.

So, I took beaucoup photos of the mess it was in - and then went ahead and did it anyway.

When I moved I got my deposit back no problems, and the place looked a hundred times better too.

Depending on how you feel and what your landlord's like, AND let's not forget how often they plan to come round at all, it's usually easier for them to keep you (you MUST be plausibly able to say you'll make good afterwards - and yeah I'd baulk at that wall full of nail holes in the post too) and if you can demonstrate that you've also improved the property already in some substantial way, I reckon you'll be forgiven.

It's more of a drag (and financial loss) to evict you and make good, and then get a new tenant, than live with your small and hopefully tasteful changes.

Chester:
I have found that this clause in a lease is usually insurance based. An poorly installed light fixture can burn a place to the ground, and just because we've all seen it done on tv doesn't make us all electricians.
It can't hurt to ask, but when you do, provide as much detail as you can, including a written estimate by a qualified professional.
In my experience, you can change just about anything so long as you prove that you aren't going to do a hack up job of it, and your changes are neutral enough.
Another thing worth expressing to your landlord is that you understand that when you move out the fixture will either stay behind or be replaced at your own expense.
The property is their investment, they want to protect that.
Good Luck!

We are in the process of moving from our 8th rental in 10 years into the first place we've ever bought. We've lived in this rental for only 9 months and I kept the boxes - throughout the entire packing process we've been so thankful that we did. For our last cross-country move we spent weeks driving around LA to different box cast-offs (craigslist) and sorting through boxes that were too damaged to be re-used. This will be the third move for a lot of these boxes and we've had to deal with a ton of spiders, but it has made the move so much easier.

The first thing I do when I move in is change the light switch plates. I have a collection of funky light switch plates that instantly make it feel like home. In our last rental we couldn't change anything, and even though it was a pretty great place I hated the saloon style ceiling fan in our dining nook.

I say keep the boxes. I haven't moved in years, but I have loaned them to more than a few friends. However, I have a storage unit in my basement where I can keep them. If I had to actually keep them in my apartment, I would have thrown them out.

I wholeheartedly agree with the toolbox suggestion. Usually, if there is something I can fix for free (or dirt cheap), I will fix it myself instead of calling the landlord. I look at it as practice for when I buy my own place.

My own advice is to not be afraid to ask the landlord to change something, particularly when it would improve the overall value of the apartment. At worst, they say no. We asked ours to put in a separate circuit for our air conditioning unit. They did, and it made our lives a lot easier. Now I can actually vacuum while the air conditioning is running!

We're all "renting" space on this earth. A rental is no less a home than a house.

I concur with the get rid of the cardboard box thing. I also never paid for boxes because you can get them for free from wal-mart. I just don't like cardboard boxes because I don't have the space from them, and spiders love them...
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/01/010716a.cfm
Other than that, these are great tips. I have only lived in 2 places for a year each, but they were my home, when I lived there. And I am moving into an apartment now I plan on living in for a long time with my kitties and girl, and have already made it into a home, even though I am still going to school/working 90 minutes away (and sleeping on a friends futon).
Wow, what a pathetic first post! But remember if you don't like spiders, don't keep boxes!

Quick tip on filling in wall nail holes when you move out: if your super/handyman is only giving the place a quick inspection and they're going to paint before the next tenant moves in, you can use white toothpaste to fill in any holes in wallboard or plaster. That'll get you past the inspection and signing the papers to get your security deposit back.

(And don't worry about ethics. When the crew comes through to repaint they're going to spackle anyway. That way they know what's a reasonable damage claim for the next tenant.)

My take as a landlord of 15 self-owned properties:

Electrical Fixtures: I will allow you to change out fixtures, but only by a licensed electrician which you must pay for. You must also either reinstall the original fixture, (using a licensed electrician), or leave the new fixture when you leave. Since the original fixture is undoubtedly of lesser quality than what you want to put in, it does not always survive the transplant. The problem arises when you leave in a hurry an simply replace it yourself in a haphazard way. Now I have to replace it with another new fixture that you will pay for. Plus labor.

Plumbing fixtures: I would be amazed if you were somehow able to remove the old taps without damaging them. If you replace these without using a licensed plumber, then I will call one when you leave to inspect, (and repair if needed) which you will pay for.

Painting: Whenever I purchase a property, I repaint with high quality products top to bottom. White is the color of choice. If you repaint, then you will be required to restore the place to the same high quality that it was when you moved in. Why? Because as long as you do not smoke in the unit, then there is no reason why that paint cannot last for years and years. The absolute worst thing you can do is to use toothpaste for nail holes, or other unprofessional trick. I can spot this a mile away, and I will charge you for the extra hassle. Do NOT touch up the paint on any surface unless you are going to repaint the entire wall (or ceiling). A dab here and there looks horrible; I will be forced to repaint; and you will be charged.

Carpets: NEVER use one of those cheap carpet rental machines!! They leave too much moisture, which quickly attracts molds and other smells, and I will charge you for the repair - which usually includes replacing the carpet and padding. ALWAYS higher a professional carpet cleaner - dry chemical only!

Lastly, the best tenants are those who:
1) Pay the rent on or before the due date.
2) Are able to fix and maintain there own goofs. If you break or crack a window, you fix it.
3) Leave the place in the same condition or better than when they moved in. Because you "upgraded" some wall plates around the place does not mean that you do not have to clean the stove.

And throw away the boxes: they attract insects, whose removal you will have to pay for.

I agree that not unpacking everything will make you feel that you are in a temporary location. I guess its a "subliminal". But no a thousand times over to keeping cardboard boxes. It's not like you'll never find others.