Renter Reveals All the DIY Her Landlord Failed To Notice on Inspection

A renter with a passion for making home improvements to her apartment has shared all of the changes her landlord didn't even notice.

Kate Lewis lives in New York City and runs the TikTok account K8NewYork where she shares her interiors inspiration and ideas.

Lewis has lived in the junior one-bedroom apartment since 2021, and despite only renting the property has managed to put her stamp on things.

"I've done a countless amount of projects in our rental property, such as furniture flips and DIYs," Lewis told Newsweek. "Changes—all of which can be reversed—include things like installing molding, wallpaper, turf, and replacing door handles, bathroom hardware or light fixtures."

A 2009 paper analyzed how people's homes can impact their health, stress levels and well-being. Those with homes that felt cluttered or unfinished were more likely to exhibit a depressed mood compared with those with a home they loved.

But making a home feel like your own while renting isn't always easy, as big or long-term changes could mean waving goodbye to your security deposit.

Despite this, Lewis has mastered the art of renter-friendly interiors, elevating her rental space with DIY tricks that add her personality.

"My mom has a great eye for interiors and is a wonderful decorator, while my dad is extremely handy and can build anything he puts his mind to," Lewis explained.

"So, between the skills I learned from my parents growing up and being a creative person myself, making updates to the apartment came naturally and I felt well-equipped to take on an array of tasks. Nearly a year and a half later, all of those small projects have accumulated to completely transform the apartment," she said.

With 1.6 million views, Lewis revealed the changes she has made to her apartment that her landlord didn't mention during their one-year inspection.

DIY additions included painted walls, a new shower head, different cupboard handles and renter-friendly wallpaper. Other changes took things a little further, such as painting the window frames black and elevating the radiator covers with a new color.

"I wasn't shocked that my landlord didn't notice these updates because he has never spent much time in the apartment," she explained. "I was pleasantly shocked by the level of interest [online] and I will continue to share updates he has and hasn't noticed. For the sake of transparency, I did disclose in my caption that I brought all of these projects to his attention after his initial evaluation. Thankfully we have a good relationship and he's appreciative of the care we put into his property."

Lewis started sharing her own interiors on social media in 2021 as a creative outlet while working in finance. But two years later the social media venture has become her job. She is now a full-time content creator and interior consultant.

"Home, holiday and decor have always been a part of the content I share but the shift to majority home content happened after my partner and I moved into our current apartment," said Lewis. "It transpired very organically with the combination of really wanting to make our rental feel like a home."

She explained that sharing the content online gives her—and others—a boost, and is something that she really enjoys: "The reason I continue to love sharing home content, and don't think I will ever stop, is because of the real change and happiness it incites. The best feeling is when a viewer shares how they were inspired by an update, put their own twist on it and now love their home even more because of it. I truly believe that your environment impacts your mood."

Sharing decor ideas and inspiring others to make their home their own, Lewis explained why she thinks people should make renter-friendly changes.

"Waking up in an environment that makes you feel good changes how you tackle the day. I encourage people to add personality and warmth into their space," she said.

She also said people shouldn't let the fact that they are a renter stop them from curating a home for themselves.

"Obviously, renters cannot take on major renovations—but there are countless renter-friendly updates people have the ability to take on," said Lewis. "The results are very rewarding."