The guide, section by section
All six sections below. The fifth is the one most tenants never think to raise.
Get the terms right first
- Get written permission for anything that touches a wall, however small.
- Photograph every room on the day you move in, including inside cupboards.
- Agree in writing what must be reinstated at exit and what may stay.
- Ask whether the landlord will share the cost of anything that improves the flat permanently.
- Keep every receipt; a departing tenant with receipts negotiates better.
Free-standing storage — Rs 25,000 to 90,000
- Knock-down wardrobes that pass a 6 ft lift diagonal and come apart at exit.
- Open shelving units instead of wall-mounted shelves.
- Under-bed storage beds, which add 20 to 30 cubic feet without touching a wall.
- Rolling kitchen trolleys where the kitchen is short of base storage.
- Shoe benches and entrance consoles rather than fitted foyer units.
Surfaces you can undo — Rs 8,000 to 45,000
- Peel-and-stick vinyl on kitchen shutters; removable and convincing at 1 to 2 mm thickness.
- Removable wallpaper on one feature wall, applied over a sound painted surface.
- Interlocking SPC flooring laid loose over the existing tile, lifted in a day.
- Adhesive-backed splashback panels instead of tiling.
- Tension rods and clamp-on curtain brackets instead of drilled tracks.
Lighting — Rs 6,000 to 35,000
- Plug-in floor and table lamps do more for a rental than any ceiling change.
- Clamp spots on shelves for accent lighting without wiring.
- Rechargeable under-cabinet strips with magnetic mounts in the kitchen.
- Smart bulbs in the existing holders to get dimming and colour temperature control.
- A plug-in pendant hung from a ceiling hook, with the flex routed along the ceiling line.
What is worth asking the landlord to do
- Waterproofing and seepage repair. It is his asset and your ceiling.
- Rewiring if the flat has fewer than two sockets per room.
- A geyser and an exhaust fan, both of which outlast your tenancy.
- Replacing a failed kitchen counter rather than patching it.
- Pest control before you move in, while the flat is empty.
What to avoid in a rental
- Anything fitted: modular kitchens, fitted wardrobes, built-in units.
- False ceilings, which are never recoverable and rarely reimbursed.
- Wall-mounted TV brackets without written permission and a make-good agreement.
- Full repainting in a strong colour; you will repaint it again at exit.
- Expensive flooring over a floor you do not own.
How to approach a rental fit-out
- Get written permission for anything that touches a wall. Even a curtain bracket, if your deposit matters to you.
- Photograph every room on the day you move in, including inside cupboards. It is the only evidence you will have at exit.
- Agree in writing what must be reinstated and what may stay. Some landlords will let a good upgrade remain and some will charge you to remove it.
- Keep every receipt. A departing tenant with receipts negotiates better than one with a story.
Three things not to do in a rental
- A fitted modular kitchen. It is the largest sum you can spend and the one you can least take with you.
- A false ceiling. Never recoverable, rarely reimbursed and it will be there long after you are.
- Full repainting in a strong colour. You will repaint it at exit, so you are paying twice for a colour you get for two years.
For small-space thinking see small flat space-saving tips and storage solutions for small homes.
Frequently asked questions
How much is sensible to spend on a rental?+
Roughly one to one and a half months' rent, spent on things that move with you. On a Rs 60,000 a month flat that is Rs 60,000 to Rs 90,000, which buys knock-down storage, plug-in lighting, removable surfaces and curtains. Spending four times that on fitted work in a three-year tenancy rarely makes sense.
What should the landlord pay for?+
Waterproofing and seepage repair, rewiring where the flat has fewer than two sockets per room, a geyser and an exhaust fan, replacement of a failed kitchen counter, and pest control before you move in. All five are improvements to his asset that outlast your tenancy.
Does peel-and-stick vinyl damage shutters?+
Not if it is a proper removable film applied to a clean laminate surface and removed with gentle heat. It will damage raw wood, paint and matt PU. Test a small area at the back of a shutter before doing the run, and keep the offcut so you can match it if a panel lifts.
Can I install loose-laid flooring over the existing tile?+
Yes, interlocking SPC laid loose over a level tile floor works well and lifts in a day. Check the door undercut first — 5 to 6 mm of flooring plus underlay can stop a door swinging. And confirm with the landlord in writing, because it changes the finished floor level at every threshold.
What about a modular kitchen in a long tenancy?+
Above five years and with a written agreement about what happens at exit, it can be justified. Below that, buy free-standing units, a rolling trolley and better storage inside the existing carcasses. The difference in cost is usually Rs 2.5 to 4 lakh, and none of it comes with you.