Decoration of a Rented House
Those who prefer to rent houses to apartments for whatever reasons are likely to get quite a free hand to varying degrees as far as decorations are concerned from the majority of house owners. There are of course few homeowners who don’t like to see any major changes done to their houses.
In spite of some house owners in the above category who like to retain their houses in their original architecture and with sentimental attachments to ancestral traditions and past glories of eras gone by, even with regard to internal décor, there are the majority house owners who like to see their houses change with times keeping pace with current trends and styles, and look attractive and glamorous.
Have a Good Sense of Limits to Decorations
It is possible that some renters go for houses rather than apartments because of their appreciation of family life as distinct from community life; and also for reasons of enjoying more freedom in many other spheres of which decorations also occupies a prominent place. The renter could get highly frustrated when such anticipated freedoms are actually not forthcoming.
Minor decorations like hanging of pictures and painting of walls might go with many house owners without much problems unlike in the case of apartment owners. However, with regard to suggestions like changing the flooring, demolishing walls or replacing existing doors and windows with those of modern and attractive designs, and full air conditioning of premises etc. may not carry favor with all house owners to the same level or degree.
If you are lucky enough to get such ambitious plans approved by your landlord, it may be with certain restrictions and conditions including that only personnel with required professional qualifications should handle all such improvements and renovations.
Consult the Landlord
You should always fall back on your House Rental Contract documents to determine what sort of decorations you can go ahead with and what types you cannot, although all House Leasing agreements may not be equally descriptive with regard to the details of types of decorations that are allowed and types that are disallowed. Even where everything appears to be quite clearly stated in the agreement, it is always pertinent to consult the landlord and get his approval in writing for whatever decorations you have in mind.
The house owner is the best interpreter of the contract since he is the one who got it framed by legal officers to his wishes. For example, a clause to the effect that no renter may cause any changes to the look of the house without the written approval of the landlord may have not been intended to apply to every such situation equally harshly. Similarly, in all instances there is no better way to dispel doubts, clarify matters and reach consensus and reconciliation than through consultation and negotiation with the landlord himself.
Discard all Doubtful Options
Where the contract is not very clear with regard to an item of decoration that you have in mind and the landowner or his authorized agent is not available for clarification, the best course of action is to discard it. Rule of thumb in such situations is to assume that all decorations are prohibited unless otherwise stated elsewhere in no ambiguous terms. Being pessimistic rather than too optimistic can save you a lot of future trouble like being penalized in addition to being asked to reverse an improvement that you had effected at tremendous cost of time, energy and money.