Woman Shares How To Remove ‘Renter Friendly’ Upgrades Before Moving Out

A woman has shared her experience of removing her renter-friendly upgrades before moving out, providing inspiration for those looking to personalize their rental spaces without leaving a trace.

Shelby Turner (@itsmeshelbyturner), 31, a vacation rental host, documented the careful removal of her temporary home improvements, including painted wallpaper and peel-and-stick wall and floor tiles. Her video showcasing the wallpaper removal was praised as “awesome,” garnering over 14.5 million views and more than 1.4 million likes.

“I think it’s important to make your space your own because your home should be your safe space and a reflection of your personality. We spend so much money on rent, especially in Southern California, we should be able to create an environment we enjoy, while still keeping the home in good, restorable condition when we move out,” Turner, who is moving to Tennessee, told Newsweek.

“I think the landlord and the tenant both win that way,” she added.

In the video, Turner peels off burgundy wallpaper from her entryway. She was relieved to find that it came off almost seamlessly, with only a couple of minor imperfections—one paint chip from a screw that had been spackled over and another small chip she suspects was there before her tenancy. There were also some spots where the paint had bled through the edges, as she hadn’t used tape during the application.

“The last thing I want to do is get blamed for anything that I didn’t do,” Turner said on camera.

To restore the wall, Turner spackled over the screw hole, color-matched the paint at Home Depot, and carefully applied wall texture to ensure everything blended seamlessly before painting over the small areas where the previous paint had seeped through.

“Now we are all back to normal, and one step closer to getting back our deposit,” Turner concluded.

Viewers were amazed by Turner’s clever approach to upgrading her rental space. “Painting wallpaper… MINDBLOWN!! That is so genius,” said Lauren Olivia.

The reactions to her video sparked a discussion among viewers from different countries about rental regulations.

An Australian viewer wrote that, in her home country, she couldn’t even put up a poster in a rental, while a German viewer said that she was allowed to paint, provided she returned the walls to neutral colors before moving out.

In the United States, renters can typically make nonpermanent changes such as installing peel-and-stick wallpapers, using removable tiles, and adding furniture or décor without landlord approval.

However, structural modifications or permanent changes usually require permission from the landlord. It is always best to consult your lease agreement and get approval for any significant changes to avoid issues when moving out.

One viewer humorously compared the removal of the wallpaper to peeling off the red plastic casing of a Babybel cheese. Another added: “This is so respectful, well done.”

In another video, Turner demonstrated the removal of her peel-and-stick kitchen countertops, a clip that amassed more than 259,000 likes and almost 5 million views.

She said that she had purchased the peel-and-stick counters from online discount store ‘Shein’, describing them as “really sticky.”

To remove the remaining residue, Turner used a hairdryer, giving the removability a 7 out of 10 rating.

After applying ‘Goo Gone’ to loosen the adhesive, she scraped up the leftover residue with a putty knife, leaving the countertops as good as new.

“You did a really good job laying that paper,” praised one viewer.

Next, Turner tackled the removal of her black-and-white peel-and-stick tiles from the entryway floor. She had cleverly laid them on top of a poster board, which allowed her to lift the entire sheet in one piece after cutting along the edges where the board was taped down.

She then carefully removed caulk residue from the baseboards with a hand vacuum, ensuring the floors were left spotless. “So I’m ever so lightly scraping this up. I don’t wanna ruin the floors or scratch them in any way, so just light movements. But, once I was done with the caulk, the floors were all back to normal,” Turner said.

“This came up so well!!! And it looked so good when it was down!!!” commented Vanessa.

Turner also shared her top tips for making rental-friendly upgrades:

• Always use a protective barrier between peel-and-stick tiles and the original surface. One effective method is laying a roll of art easel paper on the floor and securing the edges with packing tape or using a shower curtain.
• While not always required by landlords, it’s a good idea to paint over any holes you fill before moving out. You can color-match paint at Home Depot by bringing in a small chip from your wall. A sample size is usually sufficient for touch-ups and costs around $6.

Turner’s favorite home upgrades include applying wood-like contact paper to her dark cabinets to give them a light wood appearance, which brightened up her kitchen.

She also loved swapping out a standard bathroom light fixture for a chandelier, which added elegance to the space while being easy to reverse when moving out.

As a vacation rental host, Turner said she understands the importance of leaving a home in good condition. “I’ve always said I want guests to have a great time and enjoy the space as if it’s their own, just in hopes that they respect it,” she added.