6 Ways to Decorate Your Rental—Without Losing the Deposit

Dealing with unappealing carpeting can be difficult in a rental since the only foolproof solution is to get permission from your landlord to tear it up. Kyle Schuneman, the author of The First Apartment Book and writer of the Los Angeles Times column Apartment Life, suggests laying an area rug on top. You might be wary of this—think of the tripping potential—but the trick, Schuneman says, is "to make sure not to get [an area rug with] too thick of a pile because a chunky rug on carpeting can look really awkward." He suggests a reversible cotton rug or an indoor/outdoor rug, since they both have low piles. If there's a stain you want to cover, he suggests a cowhide because it's thin and has an organic shape that works with many décor styles.