It’s 2 AM. I am on my hands and knees in the corner of my rental bathroom crying over shreds of supposed “damage-free” wallpaper that just ripped in half, taking half the paint layer with it. I’ve already lost my deposit.
I have a showing tomorrow morning. Never again, I swore to myself. I’ll just DIY the living room trash next time.
Fast forward two years and two rentals later. Guess what?
Turns out I was right about never doing rental bathroom DIY again.
Except for the part where I was wrong. Because while I still will never DIY my rental bathroom again, I will rent places with badass bathrooms from now on. And it’s all because I learned to….think like….g host.
Any host with renter’s experience will tell you that the saddest place in any rental is usually the bathroom. Beige walls, beige countertops, harsh lighting. Welcome to personality murder zone.
But here’s the thing I finally figured out after moving MULTIPLE times and fighting with security deposits more times than I care to admit: you CAN have the rental bathroom of your dreams. Without spending your entire deposit. Without making changes your landlord will freak out about.
You just have to approach the space with the mindset of making it LOOK like you gut-renovated when in reality, you used lots of ridiculously clever hacks. Let’s start with what I like to call “permanent illusion” hacks. Basically, tricks that look like they’ll forever change your space when in reality, they can be taken with you when you move.
Peel- and stick wallpaper/ flooring/ mirrors were my ruin the first time I rented because they just didn’t exist like they do now. These days, you can get peel- and stick wallpaper that actually looks like wallpaper, has removable adhesive, and doesn’t stick until you’re ready for it to stick forever. Last summer I covered an accent wall in my current rental with this beautiful marble peel- and stick vinyl.
It cost £47, took me three hours to get completely straight (this corner never wants to behave! ), and it looks like I permanently installed actual marble countertops. PERFECTION. Speaking of marble, don’t skip prep work because you think these things are magical.
Paint walls with sugar soap first. I sound like a grandma, but hear me out. Rental bathroom walls are gross.
Steamy shower steam + decades of soap residue + mysterious cleaning product choices from the last renter = a disgusting layer of… stuff. That stuff is going to make your pretty new wallpaper start bubbling up no matter how careful you think you are. Removable hooks are LIFE.
I could write an entire post on 25 ways to use Command hooks in your bathroom. I know you’ve heard of those sticky hooks everyone uses to decorate their rental walls? Well, there are different types, and the standard plastic ones that everyone swears by work UNTIL your bathroom actually gets steamy.
Then they lose their magic and drop your towel bar off the wall at 3 AM like they did to me. The trick is to get the metal command hooks that are SPECIFICALLY made to work in bathrooms. They cost a bit more, but they WORK.
And now that I have your attention with the magic wall hanging hooks, let me show you where these come in handy. Everywhere. But my favourite?
Frames and mirrors. Let’s start with the mirror. Rental bathrooms usually come with these horrid builder-grade mirrors.
Sure, you can take them down, but what if you break the damn thing? Instead, buy a mirror that covers it. Or get creative with frame around it.
I have this gorgeous copper framed round mirror I picked up at a yard sale last summer for £10 hanging in my bathroom right now. It completely transforms the vibe from “public toilet chic” to “someone actually lives here.” While we’re talking mirrors, let’s talk lighting. Rental bathroom lighting is almost universally terrible.
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Those awful cold glow bulbs meant to impersonate sunlight? Change them. Go buy some warmer LED bulb options and stash the originals in a drawer somewhere.
Then supplement with battery-powered LED strips hidden under shelves or behind mirrors. I have these warm white battery-powered LED light strips tucked behind my mirror. They cost £23 and were 100% worth the instant spa-like glow they provide my bathroom.
Now, onto the hard stuff. Floors. I know what you’re thinking.
How can you change floors and not destroy your rental? Ain’t nobody got time for that. But here’s the thing about those peel- and stick vinyl tiles everyone keeps raving about.
They’re actually pretty damn fantastic now. I’ve got these ones that look JUST LIKE expensive hex tiles yet only cost me £2.50 per square foot. And they lay right over my existing tile.
When I move, they’ll peel back up with no damage. The key is to make sure you get ones that are specifically made for bathrooms! The first brand I tried started bubbling up at the corners from all the steam.
Storage is another weak point for most rentals. But that’s where these genius “lean-against” shelves come in. I love the woven bamboo ladder shelf I picked up from IKEA that leans up against my wall and holds all my towels + extra plants.
Because it doesn’t need to actually hang on the wall, you can really play around with the decor potential. Pop a few woven baskets on the shelves too and suddenly you’ve got clever storage that doesn’t scream “temporary.” Speaking of plants, add some plants. ALL THE PLANTS.
Sure, your rental bathroom probably doesn’t have great ventilation or ideal lighting, but that doesn’t mean you can’t #shelfies away. Snake plants are basically immune to death, and they don’t even need tons of light. I have three different sizes hanging out in my bathroom creating this gorgeous green nook that really brightens up the space.
Alright, last major piece of the bathroom puzzle: shower curtains. I don’t know about you, but every rental I’ve been in had either that weird clear plastic curtain that sticks to you or a cheap white shower curtain that looks like it belongs in a hospital. Nothing says “welcome to my home” like selecting a beautiful shower curtain for your new space.
I picked this linen beauty in sage green for £45 and it seriously makes my bathroom feel like a boutique hotel vs a cramped college flat. Colour is hard to come by when you can’t paint, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t incorporate it into your space. Towels, bath mats, decorative pieces (hung with those magical bathroom-safe command strips, of course), heck even soap dispensers.
I tend to stick with warm whites, soft greens, and natural wood tones because it makes the space feel put together without being too Match-y. Here’s a little secret I learned about halfway through my rental journey: take pics. Document where everything “originally” was and keep those £5 damage deposits on receipts in case your landlord decides to hunt you down.
Not that that ever happened to me….
Also, test EVERY adhesive product you use in an inconspicuous spot FIRST. Trust me.
I have a little notebook I keep with me at each rental with what worked and what didn’t because honestly, it’s saved me so much time/money down the line. Pro-tip: when it came time to move out of this rental, I peeled almost ALL of my additions/changes to the bathroom and brought them with me to my new place. The paintcolor?
Covered with peel- and stick wallpaper. The peel- and stick wallpaper? Peels right off the wall, no damage.
Major score. And guess what else? My landlord RETURNED my full deposit because there was no sign I had lived there other than my boring old mirror that I ripped off the wall and took with me.
Paint the walls colour myself next time!
