The £10 tricks I used to make my rented room into a home

It can be tricky to make a rented place feel like home on a tight budget - but some talented tenants have achieved maximum style at minimal cost.

From uni rooms to family homes we've spoken to interiors enthusiasts whose vision and know-how have transformed basic box rooms into stylish spaces.

Here are their top rental-friendly hacks that won't cost you a fortune - or your deposit.

Emily Lilburn, 21, says colour-changing lightbulbs and battery operated candles helped her make three bland and bare uni rooms colourful and cosy.

"I never have the big light on," she says. "Instead I use lamps with £5 colour-changing light bulbs. I go for deep orange or warm red and it looks so much cosier."

Emily says patterned bedding is a must. "You need to get colour and interest into the room. I go for stripes or check or polka dot and you can get a set for around £10."

Another way to add colour and texture is with faux plants, says Emily, a third year student of psychology in education at the University of York.

"You can get small ones from as little as £5," she says. "If I can bring a bit of nature into my bedroom it's calming and I feel like I'm outside."

Emily says all her changes are temporary. "I've used adhesive strips which you can get for £4 or £5 to hang up three huge prints so I haven't made any holes in the walls. When our landlord comes around he always says 'I love what you've done with the place'."

Single-mum-of-two Teri has transformed four rentals.

"I dont know if I'll ever be able to afford a place of my own so I don't want that to hold me back from feeling settled in a lovely place which reflects my style," she says.

She has changed the colour of kitchen cupboards and created a faux marble worktop with vinyl.

She says: "Vinyl is about £5 a metre. The kitchens I've changed were cheap wood veneer against dark lino floor so it made it feel so much lighter when I did it."

Teri also added £1 lengths of wood on top of the vinyl and then painted over it all to add dimension.

Another of her tips is to change cupboard door handles.

"It's really easy to do and keep the original handles to put back when you leave. You can get some nice ones for £4 for a pack of two," she says.

Teri also created a faux window pane using adhesive vinyl.

"It was a very standard white UPVC window which I wanted to make into more of a feature and bring some character to a bit of a soulless new build," she says.

"The tape was £1 and the self adhesive vinyl panel for the frame was about £4.

"A good tip is to use a hairdryer to warm the vinyl and adhesive to make it easier to work with."

Teri also used vinyl to add a textured glass effect to the shower in her last rental.

"The cubicle was chrome and very shiny and the matte black and the reeded glass effect makes it look more stylish. And it's temporary - the shower was one of the easiest things to peel off when I left."

Content creator Ayoola Babalola, who rents in London, says stick-on wall lights make her home look higher end.

"Mine were £7 for a pack of three and you can angle the light up or down. I put mine over a mirror. The adhesive on the back won't mark your wall.

"A lot of people thought my accommodation was expensive and it really wasn't."

Ayoola, 24, says storing items in straw baskets and jars can also add style.

"It makes a huge difference to lose packaging with big bold logos on and decant stuff like cotton buds and floss heads into jars on your shelf.

"In my kitchen I'll use jars for keeping rice and things in and in the bathroom I have my toilet rolls in a straw basket."

Chloe Harmer, 20, used backlighting strips on her mirrorin her uni room.

"I bought an led light strip for £7 which has an adhesive back which you just stick behind it. It took me less than five minutes - and it completely elevated it. It's made my room feel so much more cosy especially at night time," she says.

Chloe is a third year student at Leeds Arts University studying fashion marketing. She also works part-time as a social media manager and content creator.

She says fairy lights and framed prints were "an absolute must" to decorate her walls.

"I got curtain type fairy lights for less than £3. I got some large frames for £7 each and prints which were less than £2," says Chloe.

"I use adhesive strips to stick everything - this ensures I get my deposit back."