Current Residents Resources

The Dos and Don’ts of Personalizing Your Rental Property

We get a lot of questions about what you can and cannot alter in your apartment. The Lease provides invaluable information on what you can and cannot do. When in doubt, reference your lease or reach out to us prior to making any alterations to your residence.

Below are some FAQS that answer many commonly asked questions about personalizing your space. If you have any additional questions, please contact us!

Can I make substantial changes to my residence?

Tenant(s) shall not remodel or make any structural changes, alterations or additions to the premises per the Lease.

This includes, but is not limited to –

Installing, attaching, removing or exchanging appliances or equipment.
Papering, painting or decorating in a manner that alters the premises.
The numbers of telephone, cable and internet lines provided to the dwelling unit are provided in an “as is” condition – these cannot be altered or modified.

Can I hang things on my walls?

Tenant(s) shall be responsible for any excessive damage to walls, and any damage to doors, woodwork, appliances, ceilings or fixtures caused by nailing, taping, or affixing in any manner pictures, posters, mirrors, hangers, or other items thereto.

We recommend the following guidelines to avoid causing damages –

Do not use adhesives, tape, nails or poster putty on walls, ceilings, doors, etc.
Do not use LED lights that use adhesive tape to adhere them to surfaces.
Use a limited number of tacks or small pushpins for hanging objects on the walls in order to minimize damage.

How can I help protect my floors?

Tenants shall use removable floor coverings (i.e. throw carpets) to cover 75% of any wood or other hard surface flooring in a unit.

Floor coverings with hard backings can scratch the flooring, so be sure to use an appropriate floor pad based on the type of floor covering you choose.

Using floor coverings not only helps prevent damages to your floors, but can also help absorb/dampen sound in your apartment. This will help you and your neighbors!

Can I paint my home a different color?

Painting your unit is prohibited unless you have written permission from your Portfolio Manager.

Can I change the locks?

You may not change the locks (interior or exterior) without written permission from your Property Manager.

Should you desire to change locks during your tenancy, submit a Maintenance Request via the online Tenant Portal. New keys will be provided to you and our office within 24 hours of the work being done. The cost of changing the locks will be charged to the Tenant(s).

If it is found during an inspection that you have changed the locks without permission, the locks will be changed back to the original locks and all associated costs will charged back to the Tenant(s).

Can I change my shower head?

Tenants may not make physical changes to the dwelling unit without prior written consent from the landlord. If you change your shower head without written permission, the following may occur –

If water damage is caused by unauthorized shower head replacements performed by tenants, tenants will be fully responsible for any associated damages and charges.
In the event a work order is placed related to a shower and it is found that a non-standard shower head was installed, Matchbox will take the following steps to remedy the issue –
- Maintenance will remove the non-standard shower head and reinstall a stock unit.
- The non-stock shower head will be left in the unit.
- If the original stock shower head is missing, the cost of a replacement will be charged to the tenant(s) as a Tenant Charge.
- Labor associated with the reinstallation will also be charged as a Tenant Charge.
During routine inspections, including seasonal inspections such as the Winter Inspection, staff will check for non-standard shower heads. If modifications are identified, these will be reverted to the standard fixture. This reversion will be carried out by Maintenance and will be processed using the same procedure outlined above. The removed, non-standard shower head will be left in the unit.