Renting a home can sometimes feel like living in someone else’s place. You get stuck with just how little you can do to decorate the space, or else you’ll risk irritating your landlord.

But with the way most home renovation hacks go, tenants would need to risk their bond in order to complete them.

Most people simply want their rental space to feel like home. Thankfully, one woman understands this issue all too well.

Stefanie Bloom, a TikTok user who has been getting millions of views on her rental-friendly home renovation hacks, has come to the rescue, sharing with us her favourite home decor tips that won’t risk you altering the existing structure of your rental space.

“Everybody deserves a space that they enjoy no matter if they rent or if they own,” said the savvy mum.

Stefanie has shared savvy hacks to her TikTok page which will help completely change your home. Credit: TikTok/@beingtheblooms.
​

In one of her videos, Stefanie said that the tips she has been sharing on her social media page are completely safe and won’t damage anyone’s rental property, adding that it’s about time renters take back their rights to personalise their space harmlessly.

And all of her tips for today make use of her favourite home decor item – removable contact paper!

Her first hack is for bathroom floors.

First, she began by measuring her bathroom floor and pre-cutting the contact paper in order to cut down on the install time.

And then she began installing each piece one after another, slowly pressing the paper on her bathroom floors to make sure they properly adhered. She added that she overlapped each piece by three inches to prevent any water from getting through the gaps.

The floor around the toilet was a bit tricky, but she pulled through by rough-cutting the edges of the paper around the base. For more precise edges, she used a small paper knife to cut the excess.

If you’re worried that the paper would crumble once wet, Stefanie had tested the contact paper and it was waterproof and could withstand a steam mop.

​

Now if you’re looking to decorate a wall in your bedroom or just about anywhere in your home, Stefanie has another video for that.

Here, she uses peel-and-stick wallpaper.

The mum called the first piece of wallpaper the “foundation piece” because it sets the stage for wallpapering. Making sure it was aligned and straight, she carefully pressed down on the paper a few inches at a time.

The next piece of wallpaper followed, lining their edges with the first piece to make a perfect seam. If ever you encounter a power outlet, she advised viewers to take off the cover first and cut a hole in the wallpaper after you apply it. This way, you can make sure that the paper goes over the hole and will be covered by the plastic cover.

​

And finally, it’s time for the countertops!

Stefanie started by using a spray bottle of water and dish soap solution to clean the counter before laying the paper down. This way, it also makes it easier to reposition the paper if needed.

Then she used a squeegee to flatten the contact paper and to take the bubbles out with the soap.

Once done, she blow-dried the edges to make sure they were extra tight. Then she used a pair of scissors and a small paper cutter to trim the edges so they fit on the corners for a snug look.

​

Pretty amazing hack, don’t you think!?

Oh, and if you’re worried about removals, Stefanie said that removing contact paper is just like “removing a sticker on a hard surface”, so yes, they may leave some residue, but nothing a good cleaning won’t be able to fix.

Do you have more rental-friendly hacks? Share them with us in the comments below!

 

[leanneh]

I remember when I went to Uni in the mid 70's my flatmates and I had a freezing flat with tiled floors. We decided to carpet it with a very cheap rubber backed carpet that was available at the hardware store. Of course being the 70's it was shag pile and bright green! It took a bit of cutting and fiddling to get it fitting in the lounge and hall but looked great when it was finished. When we were leaving we just pulled it up, washed the floor and fitted it in our new flat. It lasted us three moves and the whole four years we were at Uni. It eventually went into one flatmates office.

 

[Mrs Macca]

Rental-friendly decor hacks that completely transform your living spaces – and they are landlord-friendly!​

Renting a home can sometimes feel like living in someone else’s place. You get stuck with just how little you can do to decorate the space, or else you’ll risk irritating your landlord.

But with the way most home renovation hacks go, tenants would need to risk their bond in order to complete them.

Most people simply want their rental space to feel like home. Thankfully, one woman understands this issue all too well.

Stefanie Bloom, a TikTok user who has been getting millions of views on her rental-friendly home renovation hacks, has come to the rescue, sharing with us her favourite home decor tips that won’t risk you altering the existing structure of your rental space.

“Everybody deserves a space that they enjoy no matter if they rent or if they own,” said the savvy mum.

Stefanie has shared savvy hacks to her TikTok page which will help completely change your home. Credit: TikTok/@beingtheblooms.
​

In one of her videos, Stefanie said that the tips she has been sharing on her social media page are completely safe and won’t damage anyone’s rental property, adding that it’s about time renters take back their rights to personalise their space harmlessly.

And all of her tips for today make use of her favourite home decor item – removable contact paper!

Her first hack is for bathroom floors.

First, she began by measuring her bathroom floor and pre-cutting the contact paper in order to cut down on the install time.

And then she began installing each piece one after another, slowly pressing the paper on her bathroom floors to make sure they properly adhered. She added that she overlapped each piece by three inches to prevent any water from getting through the gaps.

The floor around the toilet was a bit tricky, but she pulled through by rough-cutting the edges of the paper around the base. For more precise edges, she used a small paper knife to cut the excess.

If you’re worried that the paper would crumble once wet, Stefanie had tested the contact paper and it was waterproof and could withstand a steam mop.

​

Now if you’re looking to decorate a wall in your bedroom or just about anywhere in your home, Stefanie has another video for that.

Here, she uses peel-and-stick wallpaper.

The mum called the first piece of wallpaper the “foundation piece” because it sets the stage for wallpapering. Making sure it was aligned and straight, she carefully pressed down on the paper a few inches at a time.

The next piece of wallpaper followed, lining their edges with the first piece to make a perfect seam. If ever you encounter a power outlet, she advised viewers to take off the cover first and cut a hole in the wallpaper after you apply it. This way, you can make sure that the paper goes over the hole and will be covered by the plastic cover.

​

And finally, it’s time for the countertops!

Stefanie started by using a spray bottle of water and dish soap solution to clean the counter before laying the paper down. This way, it also makes it easier to reposition the paper if needed.

Then she used a squeegee to flatten the contact paper and to take the bubbles out with the soap.

Once done, she blow-dried the edges to make sure they were extra tight. Then she used a pair of scissors and a small paper cutter to trim the edges so they fit on the corners for a snug look.

​

Pretty amazing hack, don’t you think!?

Oh, and if you’re worried about removals, Stefanie said that removing contact paper is just like “removing a sticker on a hard surface”, so yes, they may leave some residue, but nothing a good cleaning won’t be able to fix.

Do you have more rental-friendly hacks? Share them with us in the comments below!

Nice hack - done responsibly. I agree that tenants deserve to feel ‘at home’ in their rental property. However,’ I think this is a gross misrepresentation of the ability to return the floor/wall to its original condition. Any self-adhesive product is a nightmare to remove, especially if it has been there for a long time. The glue backing breaks down, even in good quality products, dries out and is very difficult to remove. Proper removal can be very time consuming and therefore costly. Often painted surfaces have to be repainted. Not a cheap or easy fix. If you don’t get the owner’s permission and there is damage, you (ie the tenant) will have money taken out of your bond to cover repairs. Don’t want to sound all doom and gloom but please be prepared for the consequences.

 

[Alexander]

I am a rental provider (the new name for landlords apparently) and I have been fortunate in that my first tenant in my investment property stayed for 2 months short of 20 years. I told them early on in the piece that it was their home and they could do what they liked as long as they didn't trash it. They did and when my tenant changed all I had to do was a repaint to freshen the place up for a new tenant. I have a new tenant and he is living there under the same conditions. It is his home and he can do what he likes and if he does something to make the house unsuitable for re-renting if and when he leaves then I have his bond.
He can put tartan paint on the walls if he wishes ... as long as it is the Douglas tartan!

 

[Mrs Macca]

I am a rental provider (the new name for landlords apparently) and I have been fortunate in that my first tenant in my investment property stayed for 2 months short of 20 years. I told them early on in the piece that it was their home and they could do what they liked as long as they didn't trash it. They did and when my tenant changed all I had to do was a repaint to freshen the place up for a new tenant. I have a new tenant and he is living there under the same conditions. It is his home and he can do what he likes and if he does something to make the house unsuitable for re-renting if and when he leaves then I have his bond.
He can put tartan paint on the walls if he wishes ... as long as it is the Douglas tartan

I am a rental provider (the new name for landlords apparently) and I have been fortunate in that my first tenant in my investment property stayed for 2 months short of 20 years. I told them early on in the piece that it was their home and they could do what they liked as long as they didn't trash it. They did and when my tenant changed all I had to do was a repaint to freshen the place up for a new tenant. I have a new tenant and he is living there under the same conditions. It is his home and he can do what he likes and if he does something to make the house unsuitable for re-renting if and when he leaves then I have his bond.
He can put tartan paint on the walls if he wishes ... as long as it is the Douglas tartan! You have indeed been lucky. Not sure about the Douglas tartan though

I am a rental provider (the new name for landlords apparently) and I have been fortunate in that my first tenant in my investment property stayed for 2 months short of 20 years. I told them early on in the piece that it was their home and they could do what they liked as long as they didn't trash it. They did and when my tenant changed all I had to do was a repaint to freshen the place up for a new tenant. I have a new tenant and he is living there under the same conditions. It is his home and he can do what he likes and if he does something to make the house unsuitable for re-renting if and when he leaves then I have his bond.
He can put tartan paint on the walls if he wishes ... as long as it is the Douglas tartan!

That’s great. You have indeed been lucky. Not sure about the tartan though . Good luck

 

[Dave5290]

Nice hack - done responsibly. I agree that tenants deserve to feel ‘at home’ in their rental property. However,’ I think this is a gross misrepresentation of the ability to return the floor/wall to its original condition. Any self-adhesive product is a nightmare to remove, especially if it has been there for a long time. The glue backing breaks down, even in good quality products, dries out and is very difficult to remove. Proper removal can be very time consuming and therefore costly. Often painted surfaces have to be repainted. Not a cheap or easy fix. If you don’t get the owner’s permission and there is damage, you (ie the tenant) will have money taken out of your bond to cover repairs. Don’t want to sound all doom and gloom but please be prepared for the consequences.

I agree this is a gross misrepresentation of the ability to return the floor/wall to its original condition.
I have removed this stuff before - it is definitely NOT easy to remove.
Normally it will take you hours to remove the glue residue and it will often damage the surface.
Sometimes you may get lucky and it comes straight off.
Please be prepared for the consequences - removing that contact (wallpaper) and repainting a room will probably cost the rental provider more than the bond you paid.

 

[DrivingGirl]

I am a rental provider (the new name for landlords apparently) and I have been fortunate in that my first tenant in my investment property stayed for 2 months short of 20 years. I told them early on in the piece that it was their home and they could do what they liked as long as they didn't trash it. They did and when my tenant changed all I had to do was a repaint to freshen the place up for a new tenant. I have a new tenant and he is living there under the same conditions. It is his home and he can do what he likes and if he does something to make the house unsuitable for re-renting if and when he leaves then I have his bond.
He can put tartan paint on the walls if he wishes ... as long as it is the Douglas tartan!

Oh how wonderful- I would love a land lord like you! We struggle with 6 month lease renewals and have been there now for over 2 years, we love the home and look after it very well - I have spent hundreds of $ on the garden and it’s looking fantastic now - but we still have to go through the quarterly inspections and submit our earnings to the agent to allow us another 6 months. It borders on harassment but it’s all perfectly legal apparently. We never are allowed to think of it as our home.

 

[DILLIGAF]

I've used contact paper in cupboards and drawers and it's a pain to remove when it's been there for a few years. The paper becomes brittle and pulls off in strips and jagged pieces and you need a metal scraper to get it off, it's not easy. Another thought, if it's used on the bathroom floor, is it slip resistant when wet? You could have a nasty fall.

 

[Mrs Macca]

Oh how wonderful- I would love a land lord like you! We struggle with 6 month lease renewals and have been there now for over 2 years, we love the home and look after it very well - I have spent hundreds of $ on the garden and it’s looking fantastic now - but we still have to go through the quarterly inspections and submit our earnings to the agent to allow us another 6 months. It borders on harassment but it’s all perfectly legal apparently. We never are allowed to think of it as our home.

So sorry to hear that. You’re right- it’s completely legal. I hate that illogical harassment! Bad owner. If I were you (if you haven’t already) I’d talk to the agent and ask them if they can convince the owner to cut you some slack and give you a 12-month lease. I’d give you a long lease in a heartbeat. Looking after, let alone improving, the garden is amazing. Great work. Good luck.

 

[DrivingGirl]

So sorry to hear that. You’re right- it’s completely legal. I hate that illogical harassment! Bad owner. If I were you (if you haven’t already) I’d talk to the agent and ask them if they can convince the owner to cut you some slack and give you a 12-month lease. I’d give you a long lease in a heartbeat. Looking after, let alone improving, the garden is amazing. Great work. Good luck.

Thanks for the vote of confidence
I know what you mean though- I drive around Brisbane a lot and you can pick the rental properties straight away by the long grass in the nature strip and weeds flourishing everywhere inside the garden. Such a shame, it brings down the tone of the neighbourhood and devalues all the properties around them. But it’s a 2 edged sword really, if renters were rewarded for the care and money they spend on a property they should be allowed to stay subject to reasonable rent increases of course.