Seven Temporary, Renter-Friendly Bathroom Upgrades

One of the biggest downsides of renting is the lack of control over your environment—and that extends to the most intimate area of your home: the bathroom. Maybe this is fine, if your landlord has updated it at some point in the last two decades. If not, you may feel stuck, without the freedom (or the budget) to make the space feel a little more pleasant. But you have options.

Bathrooms can be updated easily—and inexpensively—in ways that won’t threaten your security deposit. A few affordable purchases and a few hours of your time are all you need to transform a drab “landlord special” bathroom into a more luxe-feeling space where you can clean up in style. Here are seven inexpensive, renter-friendly, totally reversible bathroom upgrades you can DIY with minimal knowhow.

Replace the shower head

One of the easiest, no-risk changes you can make to your bathroom is to upgrade the shower head. All you need is an adjustable wrench and some teflon tape, which you can find at any hardware store. Remove the shower head with the wrench (tape the connection nut or cover it with a cloth before you start working it, to avoid scratching the old shower head), clean the threads, apply fresh teflon tape, and attach the new fixture. Test for leaks, and you’re golden. You can even upgrade to a fancy rainfall showerhead with an extension arm without much extra effort, delivering that full spa experience.

Replace the curtain with stick-on shower doors

If you find a slimy shower curtain sticking to you and transforming into a mold farm to be a less-than-ideal bathroom experience, rejoice: You can ditch the shower curtain and upgrade to a bathtub door if you have a tub with a flat edge. This stick-on shower door adds a splash of style, eliminates the gross shower curtain, and not only installs in minutes, but is easily removed when you’re ready to move out.

Add peel-and-stick wall tiles

A classic solution for a temporary upgrade to any area, peel-and-stick tiles can transform the walls of your bathroom from an underwhelming builder-grade material to something that looks fresh and modern, all without damaging the walls requiring you to spend a lot. While installing these properly takes time and care, it’s not terribly difficult, and the results can be dramatic.

Note that if you want to use peel-and-stick tiles in your shower, you’ll need to look for waterproof options—not just tiles that are water resistant. Otherwise, your tiles may not stay on the wall for long, and might encourage mold growth.

Update the mirror

One of the easiest ways to glam up a simple bathroom is to swap out the builder-grade mirror for a fancier version that better reflects your style and the overall vibe of the bathroom you’re curating. If the mirror is just hung on the wall, this is just a matter of picking out a replacement, carefully storing the old mirror, and hanging the new one.

If the mirror is glued to the wall, that’s not a renter-friendly option, unfortunately. In that case, you can jazz up the existing mirror by adding a bold, eye-catching frame. If you’re handy, you could cut some trim pieces to create a frame around the mirror, or buy removable, adhesive border strips to go around it. A little precision and care will give you a striking result that instantly makes the mirror look like a bespoke installation instead of the cheapest bulk option.

Replace the hardware

Another universal trick to elevate the look of a bathroom is to swap out all the removable hardware. Cabinet pulls, wall plates, and even the faucet can be removed, replaced, then swapped out again when the time comes to clear out of the rental. This can be especially effective if the existing hardware hasn’t been updated (or effectively cleaned) in years.

Add adhesive hooks and bars

If your bathroom doesn’t have enough places to hang towels or other items, you might not want to break out the screwdriver to install more, in case you damage something along the way. But installing some adhesive command hooks is easy and comes with zero risk to your security deposit. You can put them anywhere (even in the shower!), giving you all the hanging options you need. If the bathroom lacks a towel bar (or the bar is located in an odd place that isn’t convenient), you can even add an adjustable one in a few minutes.

Install a temporary floor

A tired bathroom floor will disappoint you every time you step out of the shower. You have a few easy, cheap options to spruce things up underfoot without breaking out the hammer drill and trowel:

• A large vinyl rug can be cut to fit the space. These rugs can mimic the look of tile, are water-resistant, and pull right up when it’s time to move on.

• Deck tiles can work perfectly in a bathroom, covering a bad floor and giving you a waterproof, stylish option that’s foot-friendly, easy to install, and easy to remove.

• Peel-and-stick tiles are also an option, as long as you look for tiles designed for bathroom use—and make sure they’re removable.