10 Small-Space Holiday Decor Ideas for Renters
A slim tree, garland with no nails, a wreath that hooks over the door: ten ways to decorate a small rental for the holidays and take it all down cleanly in January.
Holiday decorating in a rental runs into two limits at once: there's little floor space, and nothing can go into the walls. Everything below either stands on its own, hooks over a door, holds by suction on glass or uses removable adhesive. All of it packs away small when the season is over.
One rule before you start: adhesive hooks and clips need a smooth, clean, dry surface. 3M asks for a wipe with rubbing alcohol first, and a seven-day wait on freshly painted walls. For more ways to hang things without a drill, see our no-drill wall decor ideas.
- Easiest to removeHaute Decor Adapt Adjustable Wreath Hanger
- Most versatileCommand Clear Medium Wire Toggle Hooks
- Small-space pickGoplus 6 ft Pre-Lit Pencil Christmas Tree
Goplus 6 ft Pre-Lit Pencil Christmas Tree
- Freestanding
- Foldable
A full-height tree with a pencil-slim silhouette, so it fits a corner beside a sofa or in a studio without taking over the room. It comes pre-strung with warm-white LEDs, so there's no untangling.
Tetebow 2 ft Pre-Lit Tabletop Christmas Tree
- Battery powered
- Freestanding
For rooms with no floor space at all: a two-foot tree for a shelf, desk, windowsill or kitchen counter. Battery powered, so it doesn't need to sit near an outlet.
Command Clear Decorating Clips
- Adhesive mount
- Removable
- No drilling
Small clear clips on removable adhesive strips for running string lights along a window frame, a shelf edge or the top of a wall, with no nails or tacks. Each pack has 20 clips and 24 strips.
Command Garland Hangers
- Adhesive mount
- Removable
- No drilling
Adhesive holders with a bundler that wraps around the garland, so it can drape along a doorframe, a window, a bookcase or the wall above the sofa. Handy in an apartment with no mantel.
Command Clear Medium Wire Toggle Hooks
- Adhesive mount
- Removable
Clear wire hooks that work for stockings with no mantel, ornaments hung in a window frame, or a garland end. Off-season, they hold keys and bags.
Haute Decor Adapt Adjustable Wreath Hanger
- Over-the-door
- No drilling
- Removable
A metal hanger that hooks over the top of the front door, so the wreath goes up with no adhesive or nails at all. The length adjusts, so the wreath sits at eye level on a tall door.
LITES-UP Clear Heavy-Duty Suction Cup Hooks
- Removable
- No drilling
Windows are the one surface in a rental you can decorate freely. These clear suction hooks hold a wreath or a strand of lights on the glass, facing in or out.
ELYKEN Freestanding Stocking Holder Stand
- Freestanding
- No drilling
No mantel, no problem: a metal stand that holds stockings anywhere there's a little floor, such as beside the tree, at the end of the sofa or by the door.
GDEALER Battery Fairy Lights with Remote and Timer (4-Pack)
- Battery powered
Thin copper-wire lights for anywhere a cord can't reach: inside a glass jar, along a bookcase, around a mirror or through a garland. Four strands per pack.
H-BLOSSOM Flameless Real-Wax Pillar Candles (Set of 6)
- Battery powered
A cluster of pillar candles on a tray makes a small-table centrepiece for the season. These are LED, so there's no flame near curtains, garland or a tree.
In a small room, a little goes a long way. Pick one focal point (the slim tree, or a garland over a window) and keep the rest to soft light. Battery and plug-in lights do most of the work; there are more year-round ideas in renter-friendly lighting with no wiring.
In January, take adhesive pieces down slowly, one strip at a time, pulling straight down along the wall. In a studio, the tree and stocking stand can also mark out the living area; see how to zone a studio apartment.
Keep reading
The room-by-room decorating checklist
Where to start, what to buy first, and what to skip entirely. One page per room.