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Decorating a Rental Apartment
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Those who live in a rental apartment are usually quite limited in the amount of decorating they are
able to do. This can have the impact of making a rental apartment not quite feel like a real home.
In many cases the rental apartment is painted a bright white and residents often feel as though
this color is somewhat impersonal but are not able to repaint the walls to a more appealing color.
This is just one example of the decorating restrictions which may be placed on an individual
renting an apartment. There may be other restrictions and reading the contract carefully will
help the renter to determine what is allowed and what is not allowed.
Review the Contract Carefully
Renters who are living in an apartment should review their contract documents carefully
before they begin decorating their apartment. This is important because there may be some
common decorating items such as painting or installation of shelving which may not be
allowed by the contract documents. Decorating in any manner which is strictly prohibited
may result in harsh penalties. These penalties might involve the assessment of fees at
the conclusion of the rental period or possibly even eviction.
Most standard decorating items such as hanging pictures are usually acceptable but
some particularly strict policies may either prohibit this completely or place
restrictions on the type of nails which may be used or the methods of patching the
holes. Renters who have questions regarding whether or not specific decorating
actions are permissible or prohibited should contact their leasing agent before
taking action. This will help to ensure the renter is not penalized in the future
for their actions. Most times this amount will be taken from your damage deposit.
Additionally, if the leasing agent tells the renter it is acceptable to perform
an action prohibited by the rental agreement, the renter should always ask for
a signed, written document stating the exception to the contract. This is
helpful because the leasing agent may not remember making an exception to
the rule or may not even still be working at the property when the renter’s lease expires.
Consider Whether or Not Modifications are Reversible
When renters in an apartment living situation are making decorating decisions,
one of the most important factors to consider is whether or not a modification
to the apartment is reversible. In most cases, the action is likely to be
permissible as long as it is easily reversible. However, the case of painting
the apartment is a common exception to this rule. Although painting can easily
be reversed, most apartment complexes do not allow residents to paint the
apartment in which they reside. This is because although painting is often
reversible, the process of returning the wall to the original color is not always easy
especially when a darker color is used.
Irreversible modifications such as removing walls or adding permanent fixtures
to the apartment are typically not considered acceptable when decorating a rental
apartment. Although even major modifications are typically not completely
irreversible, most leasing agents would consider modifications which require
the assistance of a general contractor to be permanent in nature. Conversely,
small modifications such as nail holes to hang pictures are considered
reversible because they can easily be corrected. Again, if the renter is
unsure of whether or not an action is permissible, they should seek
clarification from the leasing agent.
Consider the Security Deposit
Most renters pay a security deposit before they take possession of the
apartment. This security deposit is collected to protect against damages
which may be caused by the renter during the course of the rental
agreement. The leasing agent may expect to need to do some minor
cleaning or a few small repairs after the renter vacates the premises.
However, a deposit large enough to cover the cost of more significant
repairs is often collected to provide the leasing agent with some
protection in case the renter damages the apartment and leaves it
in need of considerable repair. In instances where the damage exceeds
the amount of the security deposit, most leases have a clause that
allow the renter to be sued for damages in court.
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