About Renter Upgrades

Renter Upgrades helps US renters make a rental feel like home without putting the security deposit at risk. Everything here is free: calculators for upgrades and rent questions, room-by-room checklists, and letters to your landlord that you fill in yourself.

What you’ll find here

• Upgrade calculatorsHow much peel-and-stick wallpaper or tile to buy, what size rug or curtains fit, how many adhesive strips a frame needs, and what size AC, heater, dehumidifier or air purifier suits your room.
• Rent and money calculatorsThe income landlords ask for, splitting rent with roommates, rent increases, prorated rent, net effective rent and the cost of breaking a lease.
• Letters and checklistsMove-in and move-out checklists, plus letters for asking permission, requesting repairs, giving notice and getting your deposit back.

Meet Tess Mullins

Renter Upgrades is written by Tess Mullins. Tess writes for renters who want a home that feels like their own, under a lease that sets limits on what they can change. Every page starts from a question renters ask, such as what size rug fits a living room or how to ask permission to paint, and answers it first.

The same principles guide every page:

• Start with what you can do. A lease rules some things out, but there’s almost always a renter-friendly way to get most of the result.
• Reversible first. Upgrades that come off cleanly come first, along with how to remove them when you move.
• Measure twice. A calculator or a printable beats a guess, so most pages give you one.
• Read the lease. When a change needs permission, the page says so and shows how to ask in writing.
• Be honest about trade-offs. “Renter-friendly” products can still damage paint if they’re used the wrong way, and the pages say that too.
• Keep it affordable. Low-cost options come first.

How the tools are built

Every calculator shows its math. The formula and the assumptions sit right under the result, and the worked examples on each page are worked out by the calculator itself, so the examples always match what the tool gives you.

The numbers come first from the people who set the rules: government agencies, standards bodies, statutes and manufacturers.

The tools run in your browser. Nothing you type into a calculator or a letter is sent to us.

No paid recommendations

Renter Upgrades doesn’t use affiliate links and doesn’t accept payment for coverage or rankings. When a guide links to a product on Amazon, it’s a plain link: the site earns nothing if you buy, and no brand pays to be mentioned.

What this site isn’t

Renter Upgrades is general information, not legal, financial or professional advice. Leases and state laws differ, and a page can’t know yours. When a decision has real money or rights at stake, read your lease and check your state’s rules, or ask a local tenant organization or legal aid office. The disclaimer has the details.

Get in touch

Found a mistake, or a renter question a tool could answer? Contact us. Corrections are welcome and get fixed quickly.