How to rent sustainably: six tips for eco-friendly renting — from where to buy furniture that will last to finding reclaimed fabric

From hiring your furniture to changing your light bulbs to more energy efficient ones, here are some things to consider in order to be a sustainable renter.
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Roddy Clarke29 January 2020

For eco-conscious London nomads, turning a short-term rental property into a stylish and sustainable home is a challenge.

Here are six tips for renting for the greater good.

Go for blinds and curtains you can take with you

Curtains and blinds help you put your own stamp on a temporary space but be sure to select those which can easily be taken down, reducing the risk of waste if the next tenant wants to change them.

If the window isn’t a standard size, and the blind may not work in another property, opt for a recyclable option such as those offered by Blinds In A Box.

Selecting blackout materials also acts as thermal insulation, especially for single-pane windows, leading to increased energy efficiency within the home. Blackout blinds start from £200.

Add colour and cosiness with reclaimed fabrics

Blackout curtains start from £200, available at stitched.co.uk
Stitched.co.uk

Without the landlord’s permission to paint, repurposing textiles as wall hangings is a great way to inject colour and feel cosy. Use liquid starch to stick them to walls and they can be peeled off when you leave.

At The Textile Review you can buy or hire fabric salvaged from exhibitions, installations and other design projects.

When you leave your rental, reuse the fabric in your next property, or simply hand it back to The Textile Review where it will go back into their cycle.

Draped velvet is the perfect portable feature that can follow you from home to home.

Hire your furniture

Online platforms are making it much easier to become an environmentally conscious renter.

If you do not intend to stay in one place for a very long time, renting otherwise big-ticket items, rather than buying them, can make good financial sense and avoids being stuck with poor-quality, stop-gap alternatives that will have a short life.

We throw away 22 million items of furniture a year, according to Censuswide, for North London Waste Authority.

London-based furniture rental platform Harth takes care of all the logistics and insurance issues, minimising hassle on moving day.

With no compromise on style, and peace of mind that you can dress a temporary space as you would a permanent home, this is a no-brainer if you are renting for just a few months.

A French double bed can be hired for a month for £87.15. A handsome oak desk is £37.98 a month, a jelly bean rug £42.88 a month and a Blanca sofa by Att Pynta for about £80 a month.

If you need to buy furniture, choose durable and modular

Nomad London's flat-pack furniture is both durable and stylish

Flat-pack furniture saves money and space when moving between rentals, but always opt for durability combined with style.

Nomad London flat-pack plywood furniture range has the class and quality to endure the transient nature of modern London life.

Other durable designs include the T01 Cross Chair by PearsonLloyd for Danish brand TAKT, priced £199, while pieces from the Tense collection, by Swiss duo Panter & Tourron, also bring a refined aesthetic to the flat-pack industry, minimising waste with each component being easily replaceable and recyclable.

Change your light bulbs to LED alternatives

Swap your light bulbs for long-lasting, energy-efficient LED alternatives

Swapping your light bulbs for long-lasting, energy-efficient LED alternatives is a cost-effective route towards a more sustainable rental home.

A vast range of LED bulbs can be found at Tala or, for a statement aesthetic, look at the unique designs of Beem.

Use your power

Look for rentals with strong existing eco-credentials and, as a tenant, you can change energy providers if the existing system isn’t efficient — or at least explain to your landlord the benefits of switching.

We all have a responsibility within our circle of influence and sometimes just asking a question can provoke action.