Renter renos: add flair to your rental home

With a few smart styling choices and renter-friendly updates using Resene paints and wallpapers, you can add colour, character, and comfort without risking your bond.

Paint might seem off-limits, but many landlords are open to change if it’s tasteful and reversible, and if it helps them hang on to good reliable tenants. From choosing the right tones to clever alternatives when painting isn't an option, here’s how to make your rental feel like you without breaking the rules or the bank.

First things first

Always thoroughly read your tenancy agreement and check with your landlord before undertaking any alterations to the property you’re renting.

Under New Zealand tenancy law, tenants must get their landlord’s written consent before making any changes to the property, including painting, hanging wallpaper, or installing fixtures. However, under the Residential Tenancies Act, landlords can't unreasonably withhold permission for minor alterations, especially if the changes are low-risk and easily reversible.

The best approach is to put your request in writing, clearly outlining what you’d like to do, the materials you plan to use, and how you’ll return the property to its original condition if needed. If you’d like more information, visit the NZ Tenancy Services website.

Embrace limitations

Even if your landlord is strict about what you can and can’t do in terms of decorating your rental home, you can still be creative in adding personal design touches, says Resene Colour Consultant Hannah Lynch.

“Decorating while renting can actually be a fun challenge,” Hannah says. “Not being able to paint or wallpaper walls, or make any permanent changes, can force you to think more creatively about what you can do.”

For example, Hannah suggests adding the flair and colour of an interesting wallpaper design but keeping it temporary by framing wallpaper samples to use as artworks or papering over re-used or inexpensive stretched canvases. If your landlord is hesitant about holes in the walls to hang pictures from, or you just don’t want the hassle of adding picture hooks, you can simply lean them against walls on top of shelves and cabinets.

Bold designs like Resene Wallpaper Collection DGILA301 are an easy way to bring eye-catching colour and pattern into rental rooms, often painted in versatile neutrals. You can also try a colour block wallpaper with a slightly textured finish, such as Resene Wallpaper Collection 36925-8 hanging in frames to add visual interest and personality.

“Using wallpaper this way is a simple trick to add art to your home, and they can be swapped out easily, and relatively inexpensively when your tastes change, or you move house.”

Testpot triumphs

“A great way to personalise your space is through DIY art and decor,” Hannah says. “And for that blank canvases are a renter’s best friend, along with Resene testpots.

“Painting your own designs directly onto a blank canvas lets you control the colour scheme and vibe, whether you're after something bold or minimalist.”

If you’re not confident in your freehand artistic abilities, there are plenty of other ways to create abstract or geometric designs. Using a pencil, ruler, protractor and stencils to trace and plan your pattern will help make sure you’re happy before you commit to painting. You can also experiment with products like Resene FX Paint Effects Medium to create blurred, washed effects, Resene Sandtex for a rough, plaster-like finish, or Resene FX Crackle for a dramatic weathered finish.

Resene testpots are also perfect for painting small decor pieces in your rooms, which add those personality-plus pops of colour for a mood boost in your rooms. With many rentals decorated in versatile neutrals like white Resene Alabaster, cream Resene Pearl Lusta, or beige Resene Quarter Sisal, look to rich, saturated jewel tones like Resene Optimist, Resene Aroha, and Resene Very Berry for a sense of luxury and drama.

Setting your kids free with Resene testpots and blank canvases, planters or upcycle wooden crates can be a fun way to let them decorate their own rental bedrooms too.

If your tastes are more minimalist, look for layered neutral colours and play with textures to add interest. Sand an old wooden bookcase or cabinet and refresh the stain with Resene Colorwood Natural or try a relaxed wash finished with Resene Colorwood Bask. Choose a Resene Neutral that works with the base wall colour in your rental and layer it in different strengths, such as Resene Eighth Tea, Resene Quarter Tea, Resene Tea and Resene Double Tea for example.

The experts at your local Resene ColorShop can help here, as can the online Resene ColourMatch Tool.

One simple way to bring a cohesive design note to your rental, particularly if it’s already decorated in a neutral colour, is to choose just one or two colours and repeat them throughout your home. For example, if your house is mostly painted in an off-white like Resene Double Rice Cake, try a lush botanical green like Resene Chelsea Cucumber dotted throughout your home for a fresh Scandi-inspired feel, that brings a note of the outdoors inside. Mix up your greens by adding notes of Resene Koru or Resene Aloe Vera for some variation or try a third contrast colour like a burnt orange in Resene Fire.

Hannah also suggests unleashing your Resene testpots on second hand treasures from your own belongings or found in op shops. “Think vases, frames, or quirky sculptures. A simple coat of paint from a Resene testpot can turn a dated item into a standout piece that fits your space perfectly.”

Other items that can be easily painted to add flair without making permanent changes are wooden dining chairs or tables, cork, tile or wooden placemats, light shades, and floating shelves.

Watch your drips

One important thing to remember, no matter the scale of your rental paint project is to protect surfaces from accidental drips or spills that can cost you your bond. As well as thoroughly covering every surface when painting, some simple and smart habits can help avoid spills. This is true for outside as well as in, as landlords may not be happy with a paint splattered concrete patio or wood deck.

• Only empty small amounts of paint into a can or tray, so if you spill, it’s only a small amount

• Work with water-based products such as Resene Lumbersider Waterborne (the paint found in most Resene testpots), or Resene Lustacryl Waterborne for easy clean-up with just water.

• Keep the floor area clear of any tripping hazards while you paint.

• Keep pets and small children out of your painting area.

Colours mentioned in this article

Products mentioned in this article

June 19, 2025

Visit your local Resene ColorShop for expert advice and all the products and accessories you need to make the most of your home.