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Sep 21, 2023

43 Rental Upgrades Without Upsetting Your Landlord

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation

We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.

Once your landlord sees your carriage door-style garage magnets, they'll want some of their own.

BuzzFeed Staff

Promising review: "This bracket is awesome and was extremely easy to install. We were able to hang curtains over our vertical blinds in just a few minutes and didn't even need any tools. Great product!!!" —Amazon Customer

Get a set of two from Amazon for $21.95 (also available in brown).

Promising review: "Once you put these bad boys on your window, the room will turn into a black hole of darkness that will engulf both soul and body. I cannot even describe the room I was in as black, it was a much deeper, almost boundless effect. Sensory deprivation will set in within minutes. You will lose all sense of what is up and down and feel like you are floating in deep space." —The Raccoon

Get them from Amazon for $35.29+ (available in six sizes and 21 colors).

Promising review: "I have a weird skinny window in my house where no normal window covering works. People walking on our community trail can see up into our upstairs bathroom when the light is on and it's dark outside. Not a good plan at all. So I used this window film and cut different-sized circles and placed then on this window to interrupt the view into the house. Worked perfectly! Very easy to use." —Marsgard

Get it from Amazon for $7.98+ (available in 11 sizes).

Promising review: "Bright and worth more than it costs! Very bright and I like that it has a button to turn it on and off." —V.R.

Get it from Amazon for $13.99 (available in two colors).

Promising review: "This might be the best thing I’ve ever purchased. My room looks magical on sunny afternoons. If you love yourself buy these crystals. Not only are the rainbows pretty but the crystals are too." —Tiffany Tyree

Get a set of two from Amazon for $7.99.

Promising review: "I actually love this more than I thought I would! It's soo soft and serves multiple purposes. I bought it to drape over a chair in my study area and to use on the floor for when I take pictures of my outfits in front of my mirrored closet doors. I now drape it over my bed in the morning after I make it as well. My stepson is autistic and he loves the soft feel of this rug and loves wrapping it around him. It has shed slightly but not more than expected. Great value also." —Caity

Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in four colors).

Promising review: "Unbelievable! My daughter just moved into her first home. She thought she would have to paint her brick fireplace because of the heavy soot stains that had been there for years. We applied the product twice and put in a whole lot of elbow grease, but what a difference! It’s a messy process, but well worth the time and energy." —MM

Get it from Amazon for $16.99.

Promising review: "I need this in bulk!! I have tried so many cleaning solutions to get out hard cooking stains on my stovetop and nothing worked! This stuff took it right out without a problem!!" —Micaela Gunderson

Get it from Amazon for $5.97.

Promising review: "Nice size for a walk hanging. It's easy to hang, I use small hooks to hold it up. Looks great in my boho guest room." —Caleb

Get it from Amazon for $18.99.

Promising review: "This is one of the most beautiful and practical rugs I ever owned. I absolutely love this rug. It looks divine on my deck. Delivery was fast. The rug being made of recycled plastic is a great plus. Good for the environment , great looking on my deck! What more can you ask for. Oh, and the price is very reasonable." —arwenabelle

Get it from Amazon for $55+ (available in two sizes and two colors).

Promising review: "I have an outlet outlet above our mantel that’s meant for a wall-mounted TV. We have a large painting covering it. We wanted to use the plug to power two Wi-Fi speakers on the long mantle. The thinness of the plug is perfect behind the painting. The power strip is hidden by a mantle clock. So, we have our two speakers to either side and no visible wires. This product may not work for every application, but for us, it’s 10 stars." —Amazon since '97

Get it from Amazon for $33.95+ (available in four lengths).

Promising review: "I can't believe how well Old English works! I recently purchased a home where a dog previously lived and had horribly scratched the woodwork. I thought I may have to sand and refinish the woodwork around two doors. Old English saved me a lot of work! " —Behold Behold!

Get it from Amazon for $7.99 (also available for light woods).

Promising review: "I can’t believe how well these work! Much better than I was expecting. I just had my home interior painted and the painters damaged a fiberboard medicine cabinet when they removed the masking tape. It ripped off the fake wood veneer. These markers completely filled in the ugly spots and the colors blended well. I love that it appears to have some clear coat in it too as it dries with a slight shine that makes it look more like wood stain rather than marker. I also used them to stain wood filler in two spots in my maple kitchen cabinets where a previous home owner had hung a paper towel holder and I really struggle to see the hole! It looks fantastic. I highly recommend this set. It’s a good value and works very well." —Shane

Get a set of 13 from Amazon for $8.99.

Promising review: "I have never been so excited about a slipcover. Total transformation of our couch and love seat. I was worried about it not working on our leather couch, but it stays on really well due to the straps and the separate cushion covers. LOVE." —Brian/Liz

Get it from Amazon for $42.92+ (available in five sizes and ten colors).

Promising review: "Before and after putting it on. I couldn’t be happier. This chair has been through and lot and I just wasn’t ready to pry with it. The cover was easy to put in and so soft." —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $23.99 (available in 19 solid colors).

Promising review: "These arrived yesterday and they was so easy for me to put on. Only took about 10 minutes for six chairs. From nasty white chairs to a nice gray and white cover. I LOVE THESE SO MUCH THAT I WILL BIY MORE TO CHANGE OUT MY COLORS FOR CHRISTMAS TIME AND ALL HOLIDAYS. Well worth the price we payed. I’m in love with my new chairs now. IT WAS MY HUSBANDS IDEA FOR ME TO BUY MORE. ❤️" —lisa browning

Get six from Amazon for $34.99+ (available in 35 solid colors and prints).

Covogoods is a Utah-based shop that specializes in storage solutions.

Get it from Covogoods on Amazon Handmade for $29 (available in a variety of colors and sizes).

Promising review: "My baby niece Sharpied my orange suede couch. Didn’t think it would ever come out. This stuff is amazing." —levi schofield

Get a two-pack from Amazon for $4.99.

Humble Suds is a small cleaning brand run by two moms — Holli Schuab and Jennifer Parnell — in Evergreen, Colorado. All of their products are made from powerful, plant-based ingredients and packaged with recyclable materials. They recommend applying a tablespoon of their scouring paste to a cloth and then scrubbing in a circular motion.

My Shopping team colleague Danielle Healy is a fan (she took the photos above!), saying:

"I recently moved into a new apartment, so lately I've been cleaning A LOT. Shortly after moving in, my partner and I went to store something on the top of the kitchen cabinets only to find them caked in a thick layer of grime 🤢. After going at it with regular multipurpose cleaner (with little success) we broke out the scour paste as a last-ditch effort and OH BOY did this miracle product deliver (pics above). If it can handle that grossness, it's going to have no problem with day-to-day messes like soap scum and burnt-on food. Plus, it smells delightful and comes in minimal, low-waste packaging!"

Get it from Humble Suds on Etsy for $15.95+ (originally $15.95+; available in two sizes).

StoveShelf is a small business, and these shelves are built to last a lifetime.

Promising review: "This is an excellent buy. The shelf helped me declutter my cabinet, and it is an awesome storage space for my more often used spices. It is sturdy, easily installed, and attractive. I recommend this shelf." —Pamella R.

Get it from Amazon for $39.99 (available in six types and three sizes).

Promising review: "I’ve been wanting to upgrade our garage door for a long time and now I have no idea why I waited! The magnets are super strong. Purchased two sets but only used one set of 'handles,' I wasn’t a fan of how close I had to place each set next to each other with the narrow spacing on the door itself. Paired with the magnetic 'windows,' it looks like a brand-new door!" —MrsPirate

Get them from Amazon for $10.99+ (available in several sets and variations).

Rocco & Roxie Supply Company is a family-owned small business established in 2013 that specializes in pet odor eliminators, pet toys, pet snacks, and pet accessories.

Promising review: "I don’t know how I ever survived without this. There’s tons of 'pet stain/odor remover' products out there, but this by far is the absolute best. I cringed paying the $20 for it when others are between $5–$10, but I have NO ISSUES paying now. I foster dogs, some puppies, some older, some not house broken and every room in my house is carpeted except the kitchen which means I have lots of accidents. I spray enough to saturate if it’s a lot of urine, let it soak for 10 minutes then wipe it up with a hand towel. Then I put a larger towel on top of it if it’s in a high-traffic area until it’s completely dry. It’s taken out every stain and more importantly the odor is gone! I will never stop buying this product. I recommend it to everyone who has dogs!" —Shelley

Get it from Amazon for $19.97.

Useful Products is a US-based small business established in 2007 by car wash owner, electrician, and former bodybuilder Anthony LaPolla that specializes in drill-cleaning brushes and attachments.

Each of the different brush colors indicates which tasks the brushes are meant for based on their bristle type, so be sure to check which one is best suited for whatever you need to for! Yellow is the “all-purpose” medium bristle, but some are softer and harder depending on what types of surfaces you’re cleaning (but none of them will scratch!).

Promising review: "I’m in love with this. I manage many apartment properties and finding people to do the cleaning has been tricky business, so I end up having to get in and clean these horrendous filth pods tenants lived in and left me to deal with when they move out. The ovens and stove tops are usually the worst, and I absolutely hate cleaning. I came across this drill attachment set, and let me tell you, it helped me tremendously! I still had to get in with a putty knife on some of them but it really cut down my elbow-grease time. If it wasn’t for this drill attachment, I think my arms would have just fallen off trying to clean it as good as I did! My only con would be that it doesn’t have any extension of any sort, so I really had my drill all up in that oven, but well worth it." —alicia haats

Get it from Amazon for $14.95+ (available in five color combos).

Promising review: "This is the second privacy screen I've purchased from Amazon. I have an area in my garden visible from the street. The screen hides all my gardening stuff (i.e. wheelbarrow, buckets, etc.). It truly looks like the real deal!!!" —soooz

Get a roll from Amazon for $39.99+ (available in three roll sizes).

Promising review: "Living in Hawaii you have to select wise items that are weather-, salt-, and red dirt–proof, etc... In total I ordered 11 boxes to complete my yoga deck. I have a few left over to make steps on the back. Very pleased and happy. May order more for an outdoor shower project!" —Adazzle

Get 10 sq. ft from Amazon for $81.99.

Reviewers note that you should remove the bulbs before stringing up the strands and then install the bulbs.

Promising review: "These lights were perfect for my patio, I've recieved plenty of compliments so far. The Edison light bulbs and beautiful and offer the perfect amount of lighting for any occasion...the clips were ideal for my eaves, the overhang of the roof, which made for simple installation...now just need to find a dimmer capable of handling the required wattage and the package will be complete." —Brody Vins

Get a strand from Amazon for $14.40+ (available in three styles and lengths).

Promising review: "The pictures don't do these justice. At night my backyard looks like a scene from Avatar. The light itself is not bright, but the colors are very vibrant and intense. The color transition is gradual and glowing. They are hypnotic to watch. During the day they are unobtrusive and don't look too fake or artificial. The green leaves are very bendable, the stems of the flowers are somewhat pliable, and the cloth that makes up the petals can be smoothed and manipulated a bit so you can make them look different and more realistic. I've had them for a couple of weeks and so far they are performing perfectly. They are simply beautiful and we love them!" —Zavanna

Get eight flowers (between two bunches) from Amazon for $19.99.

macraYAYmacrame is an Indianapolis, Indiana-based shop that makes a variety of cool macrame accessories.

Promising review: "Beautiful and functional! This is the perfect addition to our beachy kitchen. We spray painted the hooks matte black to match our other hardware. It’s so cute!" —Melissa Wilkes

Get it from macraYAYmacrame on Etsy for $33.

Promising review: "It’s a little hard to squeeze but that totally makes up for the AMAZING results. I was embarrassed about our tubs because the people we bought our house from didn’t caulk or seal them properly and this resulted in mildew buildup. I tried EVERYTHING until I saw this on TikTok, I believe — MIRACLE FREAKING WORKER. I will be buying more, the only complaint I will ever have is the shipping got mixed up but that is not a problem and was fixed very easily!" —Brooklyn Nguyen

Get it from Amazon for $14.99.

This is also a better option than an organizer that hangs over your faucet because the weight of those can mess with your water flow!

Promising review: "This fits our sink perfectly! It's not too big and holds a sponge and two bottles of soap. We have a standard apartment sink and it fits perfectly, it also holds very well. We have it suctioned on the sink not the counter." —Erin Johnson

Get it from Amazon for $15.99 (available in two colors).

Promising review: "This product did exactly what I needed it to. Before all my items were in a drawer and the cords were a pain, but with this metal basket it minimized clutter, keeps things organized and separate, and it also looks nice. It fits two of my blow-dryers, a flat iron, and curling wand. The bars are adjustable, as well (just use the twisties it came with to secure them in place). Worth the buy!" —Alyssa Jewell

Get it from Amazon for $20.49 (available in seven finishes).

They also collapse to store flat when not in use. You get four bins: a six-cell (for scarves, hankies, and ties), an eight-cell (for underwear), a seven-cell (for bras), and a 24-cell (for socks).

Promising review: "I LOVE LOVE LOVE these organizers!! I almost did not purchase them due to the reviews saying that larger than a C-cup would not fit into the bra organizer. At just $15 for four organizers I took my chances and ordered two sets of four. I figured, worst case scenario I would have to cut the dividers out of the bra organizers. I wear a 32DD and the bras fit beautifully in the organizers. I am so glad I took the chance and did not listen to the reviews. I would have missed out on the best cheapest organizers I have ever found. I ordered another set for tank tops and other extras I did not think of before. I will also order my boyfriend the brown ones for his drawers. Great product for a great price!" —Elizabeth L. Blackwell

Get a pack of four from Amazon for $14.87 (available in seven colors).

Promising Review: "We moved into our new home, and the shower had a really yellow grout. Cleaning didn’t do anything, and I saw this grout pen online. What a saver! Otherwise, I would have just hired someone to replace my shower. I used this grout pen, and my husband was so impressed :D The tip loses its shape fast, but just pull out the TIP AND FLIPPED IT OVER, and you’ll have a new tip." —jennifer

Get it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in two sizes).

FYI, it installs like a regular outlet cover. Of course except with the wonderful shelf. Can also be installed so the shelf is below the outlet.

Promising review: "I absolutely love this thing! I have much less clutter on my sink thanks to this. If there's anyone not sure if it will fit due to an object, all you need is 1.25 inches of space between the edge of your existing outlet plate and the piece of furniture. I have a GFCI with a standard wall plate." —Amazon Customer

Get it from Amazon for $12.87 (available in four colors). And check out a larger outlet shelf.

Promising review: "My partner and I recently bought a 140-year-old home with original wood floors and wood work throughout. We had the floors refinished to their original beauty, but the baseboards and stair risers were a challenge. They were pretty banged up over years of use, and, after the floors were redone, all the nicks and scratches just stood out that much more. Our floor guy tried staining them, but it wouldn't take. The floors themselves took nine coats of stain because they were so old. The painter tried using pens from a well known paint company, but they didn't work either. My partner found these and showed them to me. To our delight the pens worked incredibly well. It's like a magic marker for wood. I'm still amazed how well they worked. I ordered two more packages because I didn't want to run out. The pens last a long time. Our painter came back to do some minor touch ups, and I showed him what I used. He couldn't believe it. He said he was going to buy them to keep in his arsenal, lol! I Love this product. Thank you so much for making them!" —Kathleen W

Get a set of 50 from Amazon for $31.99.

Promising review: "Great product for a great price. Very sturdy, but lightweight and small — under my bathroom sink is *very* small, and the metal frame is thin enough that it doesn't take up much space, and of course it allows me to utilize the empty vertical space instead of shoving things all the way to the back wall. I might rearrange the shelves, but it's just held with screws on each end so that's easy enough to do-comes with two supports for two shelves, but you can choose from four heights/positions. 👍🏻 Might need to order a second for under the kitchen sink..." —Jennifer Mowry

Get it from Amazon for $22.87 (available in two finishes).

Promising review: "Easy to assemble and install, did it completely by myself. Perfect shelf for a small space but still sturdy enough to hold whatever you need it to. So perfect for my small apartment. Would absolutely buy again!" —Chrissy

Get it from Amazon for $129.99+ (available in several finishes)

Enhances the natural beauty and depth of grain on finished *and* unfinished wood. For use on antiques, dining tables, kitchen cabinets, wood doors and trim, etc.

Promising review: "Very impressed so far. Just tried this stuff on one of our kitchen cabinets and it really did a nice job. The cabinets are 15-year-old cherry-stained hard work cabinets (oak, maybe?) and are scratched deeply in certain parts from the previous owner's dogs. 20 minutes after applying this product and wiping it off, I can't complain at all about the results. It looks great in the picture, and even better in real life where you are not focusing on staring at imperfections. In addition to helping tremendously with the blemishes, it also leaves a nice glossy shine on the cabinets, making them look clean and fresh (not over the top glossy and fake). For the minimal price, I can't complain at all. Finally, I used about a 1/3 of an ounce to do the 36" double base cabinets and the 36" wide drawer, so I believe the 16-oz bottle will last quite a while." —Patrick Gallagher

Get it from Amazon for $8.98.

Reviewers note that this doesn't give you the funhouse-like effect some cheaper full-length mirrors do.

Get it from Amazon for $92 (available in three frame colors). And check out a smaller option for $82.95.

Promising review: "Love love this sofa arm table. The wood is sturdy and as others have mentioned, those hinges that attach it to the sofa arm are incredibly strong. Be careful. But that's what makes it so great. I am in a small apartment; no room for end tables and this is perfect for my water bottle, phone, and remote. Too small for a dinner plate. But I was able to fit a small coffee cup plate and water glass." —Shopaholic

Get it from Amazon for $19.99+ (available in two wood finishes).

And if you're especially petty, you can copy my move of saving said switch plates with a piece of marked duct tape so you know where you put 'em when you leave. This was one of the first things I did in my current apartment, thus rendering the switch plates barely noticeable — which is how I like them!

Get a 10-pack of plates for plugged outlets for $10.19 and a variety of switch plates from Amazon.

Promising review: "Easy to install. Lights provide ample lighting; USB allows lights to be a standalone fixture without tying up another wall socket. The USB interface also acts to turn the lights on and off with the TV. Backlighting also seems to make the screen seem sharper." —Shaun

Get it from Amazon for $7.99+ (available in sizes S–XXL).

Promising review: "I. AM. Shook! The previous tenant kept this apartment NASTY. I moved in the day he moved out and was scrubbing this nasty drain for months to no avail. I let this sit for an hour and came back just to peek and wow. The difference is crazy. Now I feel better about taking baths in my own home. Amazing. 9/10 because the instructions says rub lightly. I tried that way first and almost thought it was a dub (Meaning it wouldn’t work lol) But it definitely worked after letting it sit." —Julia R.

Get it from Amazon for $16.10.

Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.