One of the best low-cost improvements in a rental is changing the lighting and adding your own lamps. Most rented homes come with basic tube lights or bare bulbs that make rooms feel cold and impersonal. You can’t always change floors or tiles, but you can change how the space feels with warm, layered light.

Add a floor lamp near the sofa, a table lamp in the bedroom, maybe a small lamp on a sideboard or desk. Use warm white bulbs instead of harsh, cool ones. In the evening, switch off the main ceiling light and rely more on these smaller lamps. The room instantly feels softer, calmer and more “you”.

Pair that with a rug or two and some cushions in colours you genuinely like, and suddenly the rental starts matching your personality, not the landlord’s taste. The best part? These are portable. When you move, all your lighting and soft furnishings come with you to the next place.

You’re not changing anything permanent, but you’re changing how the home looks and feels every day. That psychological shift – from “I’m just staying here” to “I live here” – often starts with something as simple as the light in the room at night.