The pros and cons of renting vs. owning a home have been argued for ages. I’ve done both throughout my life. From questionable college abodes, to upgrading to my own place as a Single, renting served me well over the years. But there are downsides to renting. For one, you’re fairly limited to the amount of change you can make to the space. If you hate the flooring or paint color, too bad. However, you can do some temporary things, like the suggestions this blogger makes in this recent post.

They’re all very good ideas. I just don’t know if I’m that invested to even make temporary changes, which would then have to be reversed once I decide to move out. We shall see.

The biggest downside to my rental is the cream-colored carpeting. Why on earth would you install such light carpet in a rental? You’re just asking for it. Especially if you have a tenant with a dog that doesn’t always let her know she needs to go out, or a daughter who likes to explore the pond in the back and forgets to take off her mud-covered boots when she comes in. Honestly, my front hall looks like a crime scene. I’ve tried numerous stain removal products and techniques but I can guarantee you that without a thorough steam cleaning before I leave there’s no way I’ll see a dime of my security deposit. In the meantime, I’ll throw a rug over it all and call it good.

Another thing that threatens my security deposit is a recent décor project that the youngest undertook. Like many little girls, she’s a fan of posters, especially those of One Direction or Selena Gomez. After covering the wall with their smiling faces, and being frustrated by the lack of staying power of scotch tape, she took matters into her own hands and turned to a super aggressive duct tape in a snazzy pink and lime green pattern. She creatively framed out each picture in said tape and loved the result for a few weeks. Then she decided she needed new posters and set about removing the duct tape. Well, guess what? Duct tape removes paint quite handily. So one wall of their room looks like something out of a war zone. I’ll deal with that later. Interestingly, I’m not the only person this has happened to.

Anyone else out there have some rental woes or horror stories to share? What are your pros and cons of renting? Let me know in the comments!