When you rent a room or house how far you go when it comes to decorating can be tricky to get right. Some landlords allow you to do pretty much what you like- but there are not many that take that approach. Often, even if they do, part of the deal is that you have to return the property to a neutral state when you leave it. Fortunately putting your own personal mark on your home does not necessarily mean redecorating it. There are lots of alternative approaches which won’t leave a mark. Below are some of my favourites.

Hang some artwork
By far the easiest and safest option is to use artwork and prints to decorate your walls. You can get any image turned into a work of art by using this canvas printing company. They have been in the business for more than a decade so really know how to make the process as easy as possible.
The fact they will print any image (and do so in a range of sizes) makes it easy to truly personalise each room. Provided the frame you choose is not too heavy you can often hang the prints without having to drill any holes in the walls- when I was in my rented flat I used velcro tabs to put things on the wall, they are strong but the sticky side is specially designed not to leave a residue on the wall.

Other wall hanging options
Mirrors, photo collages, wall stickers and decals are also really good options for putting your stamp on a place. If you choose to hang mirrors it is safer to hang them by drilling into the wall- just be careful not to hit a pipe or cable when you hang them.
When you leave make sure you allow enough time to fill the holes, rub them down, re-sand them and apply a couple of coats of paint, this way the repair job should be good enough to allow you to keep your deposit.
If you use wall stickers make sure they are the kind that can be peeled off without leaving any residue. Again, remove them at least a week before you are due to move out to give yourself enough time to fix any issues. You can also use stickers on doors and windows as well.

Flooring
Flooring has a huge impact on the look and feel of a room, if it is shoddy nothing you do to the rest of the room will make it look much better. Fortunately there is a lot you can do about this problem even if you are on quite a tight budget.
There are plenty of affordable rugs available- for rooms like the kitchen, dining room, toilet or bathroom vinyl flooring is a good option. You can cut it to size and just roll it up when it is time to leave. Be careful not to cut the flooring underneath when you fit it and be sure to buy the type that will not leak colour into the original flooring.

Shelves and hooks
It is best not to hang shelves where possible, instead opting for freestanding shelving units. For the sake of safety remember to secure the units so they don’t fall over, and add filling any holes once you are ready to move to your `to do’ list.
If you need hooks opt for the suction cup kind whenever you can.

Understand the rules
Before you sign the rental contract it is best to understand exactly what is and what is not allowed. You should also familiarise yourself with your rights and obligations as a tenant in the eyes of the law. This article is a good starting point.