Improving the lighting in a rented flat without rewiring

In a rented flat, drilling walls and running cables is often not an option. From swapping bulbs to plug-in fittings, ways to improve the lighting without leaving a trace.

Many rented flats come with the same lighting problem: a single ceiling light in the middle of the room, an old bulb giving harsh white light, and dark corners. The landlord may not agree to changes, and when the lease ends everything has to go back as it was. The good news is that you can improve the lighting dramatically without drilling a single hole.

Start by changing the bulbs

The simplest, cheapest and fully reversible step is to replace the bulbs in the existing fittings. Do not throw the old ones away: keep them in a box and put them back when you move out.

When choosing bulbs, check three things:

• Colour temperature. Warm white light makes living spaces feel homely. Harsh cool light makes a room look like an office.
• Light output. If one ceiling light has to light the whole room, a weak bulb will not be enough. Check the lumen figure on the box.
• Cap and size. Remove the old bulb and check its cap and length; a long bulb may not fit an enclosed shade.

If different rooms have bulbs in different colours, matching them alone changes how the flat looks.

If the fitting itself is grimy or has a yellowed plastic shade, simply cleaning it with a soft cloth noticeably increases the light. Switch off before removing the shade and note how it is fixed so you can put it back exactly as it was.

Build layers of light with plug-in lamps

The ceiling light should not have to do all the work. Plug-in fittings add a second and third layer of light:

• Floor lamp. An uplighter bounces soft general light off the ceiling and can replace the ceiling light entirely in the evenings.
• Table and bedside lamps. Local light by the sofa, at the bedside or on a desk.
• Clip-on lamp. Clamps to a shelf, headboard or desk edge with no fixing at all.
• Plug-in wall lights. Some wall-light models have a cable running down the wall; a small hook or damage-free adhesive hangers are enough to mount them.

Route cables along the wall in adhesive trunking or behind furniture so they look tidy and nobody trips over them. Place each lamp near its own socket so you do not need long extension leads across the room.

Battery and stick-on lights

Where there is no socket, battery or rechargeable lights help:

• stick-on linear lights under kitchen cabinets light the worktop;
• small motion-sensor lights inside wardrobes and cupboards;
• a dim sensor light in the hallway for night-time.

Choose adhesive that can be removed later without leaving marks. The landlord’s paint and furniture should not be damaged.

Smart plugs and remotes

If you cannot change the switches, smart plugs add convenience. Floor and table lamps plugged into them can be controlled from a phone, on a timer or with a remote, so you do not have to switch each lamp on separately when you walk in. Remember that a smart plug also draws a small amount of power on standby.

What not to do

Avoiding a few mistakes matters for both safety and your relationship with the landlord:

• do not replace fittings, switches or sockets, or run new wiring, without the landlord’s consent;
• do not run extension leads under rugs, where an overheating cable is hidden and dangerous;
• do not plug many high-power appliances into one extension lead;
• do not put a bulb above the fitting’s stated maximum wattage;
• if you notice an old, damaged lampholder or a socket that gets hot, do not repair it yourself; tell the landlord.

When you move out

Before leaving, swap all the bulbs back, remove any adhesive fixings and carefully clean off any marks. Your plug-in lamps and LED bulbs go with you to the next home, so the money spent on lighting a rented flat is not lost. The next home may use different caps, so it is worth checking its fittings before you move.

In a rented flat the quickest upgrade is a bulb swap, and Zəfər İşığı makes E27 and E14 LEDs that fit most ceiling, floor and table lamps. Keep the landlord's original bulbs in a box so they can go back in when you move out.