DIY Renter Friendly Bathroom Updates

It’s been about six months since we moved into our new apartment, and we have yet to finish making the space feel like ours… particularly in the bathroom. Our bathroom is pretty nice the way it is, but it’s just not our style. So, I’m sharing a few easy DIY renter friendly bathroom updates that I made happen in this space that will still get us our deposit back when we leave!

Easy Renter Friendly Bathroom Updates

This project is sponsored by The Home Depot and is part of the ProSpective program. It contains affiliate links. For my full disclosure & sponsorship policy, click here.

Want to see this project in action? Check it out on YouTube!

I severely underestimated how much time I’d be spending in our bathroom doing non-bathroom related things this year. But, I’m not mad about it… look how cute it looks!

You don’t have to do a full-blown renovation to make a bathroom feel update. Here are some simple things I made happen in our space to make it feel like our style.

1. Swap Out Lighting

One of the most simple fixes in a rental is swapping out the lighting fixtures! I always make sure to keep the lights I switch out in a box in our storage unit to put back when we move out. 

For this space I chose to swap out the ceiling light and the vanity light as well!

If you have a situation like mine, you may need to paint around the new fixtures. I did this by using my Dremel Versa and some kitchen scour pads to smooth out any high paint spots before brush painting two coats of paint.

2. Clean The Grout

Not the most exhilarating project in the world, but I cannot tell you what a GIGANTIC difference it made to spend some time scrubbing and brightening the grout in our bathroom! I used a grout cleaner and applied it to the grout using a spray bottle. I then scrubbed it in using my Dremel Versa with a brush scrubbing attachment and splash guard.

I also decided to scrape out any old grout in between the tub with a grout saw and the tile and clean it with my Versa and Scrubbing Detail Brush before re-caulking the entire tub. You can find my full tutorial for how to do that on my website!

3. Change The Fixtures

Another easy upgrade that can be made in a rental space are changing smaller fixtures. I decided to swap out the sink fixture in our bathroom to match the vanity, and it was so worth it. Swapping out the sink faucet is super simple and you don’t have to hire a plumber.

The shower is a little trickier. I was able to only replace the shower head because we don’t have our own access to shut off the water to our unit. But, even changing out the shower head made such a huge difference! I just unscrewed the old one, replaced the plumbers tape underneath, and screwed in the new one. 

Not all fixtures need to be plumbing related – I also swapped out the towel rack and shower rod as well! Also.. can we talk about this mud cloth shower curtain I found for the space? Yes, please.

4. Add Storage

Often times bathroom spaces don’t come with a ton of storage. To help combat this, I built some floating shelves for a small nook in the bathroom that was wasting space. There are a few ways to do this and I tried two for my space!

First option is to use hidden brackets. Just drill a hole through your boards with a long drill bit and clean the openings with a Dremel Lite Rotary Tool Kit & Sander.

Second option is to use basic, but trendy brackets. I used these in my Murphy Bed project and they were so easy to install!

Looking for tips on how to patch and paint your walls when you move out? Check out my tutorial here!

5. Use What You’ve Got

Sometimes replacing everything isn’t an option… in our apartment we couldn’t replace the vanity or the medicine cabinet. So, instead I worked around them and just made them look great. I was able to swap out the mirror on the medicine cabinet and add a matching toilet paper holder to the vanity, and it made a huge difference!

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