When you live in a rental property, you don’t always have control over your space. For instance, you may live in a rental with a small kitchen, little closet space, and insufficient cabinet space. As such, it’s important to maximize the space you’re given. Follow these DIY kitchen organization ideas if you’re struggling to fit your belongings in your rental.
Considerations for Organizing Your Kitchen
Rental properties don’t always have the space or layout you want. However, since you don’t own the property, making the changes you desire is challenging. After all, you can’t make extensive renovations to your rental without permission from your landlord. And most of the time, the expenses aren’t worth it for a short-term rental.
That said, making the most of the space you’re given is essential. Luckily, there are several things renters can do to organize and maximize storage space. If you feel helpless and want to optimize your kitchen space, look for DIY kitchen organization ideas.
Living in a rental property doesn’t mean you can’t organize and store things the way you want. Depending on the size of your kitchen and how much cabinet and counter space you have, there are several ways you can organize your items to ensure they fit correctly. Keep reading to learn some organization tips for your rental kitchen.
10 DIY Kitchen Organization Ideas
If you’re dealing with a small kitchen in your rental property, you’re limited in several aspects. For instance, you may not have enough counter space to prepare food or fit all of your smaller appliances. However, you can do a few things to add more storage.
The first step is to clear off all of your surfaces and see what you’re working with. Once everything is cleared and cleaned, you can start to envision where you’d want to put your belongings. Here are some organizational tips to use in your kitchen if you need some ideas.
- Deep Clean Everything
- Add Shelf Liners to Cabinets
- Use Risers or Shelves for More Space
- Make Use of Cabinet Doors
- Add Dividers for Cutting Boards and Baking Sheets
- Install Hooks to Hang Coffee Mugs
- Store Utensils in a Cutlery Tray
- Use Glass Jars or Bins to Store Bulk Items
- Buy a Kitchen Cart for Extra Storage
- Find a Designated Space for Everything
Deep Clean Everything
To fully organize your kitchen space, you’ll want to start by deep cleaning. Move everything out of the kitchen, including all of your small appliances, pantry items, dishes, etc. Once you have everything cleared out, wipe every surface with kitchen-safe cleaning products. Make sure to get every countertop, the front and back of all your cabinet doors, shelves, and drawer handles.
Once everything is cleared and cleaned, you can better understand your available space. From here, make sure everything is dry, especially in spaces you store food. Then, take a good look at your space and try to envision where you can put your kitchen items.
Add Shelf Liners to Cabinets
Next, you can add shelf liners to your cabinets, if desired. Although it’s not necessary, shelf liners can make it more simple to clean your kitchen. Additionally, liners can brighten up dull spaces or add a fun pop of color to your kitchen without making permanent changes. Shelf liners come in several colors and patterns, so it’s a great way to personalize your kitchen while living in a rental home.
Use Risers or Shelves for More Space
If you lack space for dishes, food, and kitchen utensils, adding risers or shelves can help double your storage space. Additionally, risers can help you find pantry items quicker, instead of searching through a pile of cans or boxes if your shelves are tall but not very wide.
You can also use risers for storing dishes more efficiently. For instance, you can put plates on the bottom of the shelf and use the risers to store bowls or cups. You can use risers in your kitchen in several ways, depending on your space and the items you need to store.
Add Dividers for Cutting Boards and Baking Sheets
To cut down on space for large items like cutting boards and baking sheets, consider buying a divider to store them. A divider will keep them neatly in a row so you don’t have to stack them awkwardly inside a cabinet. After all, there’s nothing worse than opening your closet to a stack of pots and pans crashing down on the floor.
Install Hooks to Hang Coffee Mugs
Coffee mugs take up a ton of space, and they’re not easy to stack, creating a major lack of space for other cabinet items. So, if you want to make more space for other dishes, consider installing hooks to hang your coffee mugs instead.
Of course, when you install anything in a rental property, you must ask your landlord or Northern Virginia property management company. However, adding hooks can help you and the next tenant save space in a smaller kitchen, making it a wise decision for you and your landlord.
Store Utensils in a Cutlery Tray
Most people use cutlery trays to separate forks, knives, and spoons. However, you can also use a cutlery tray to store and organize other kitchen utensils. For example, a larger tray can easily store spatulas, large spoons, and other cooking utensils in a drawer or cabinet.
Instead of throwing these items into a drawer and calling it good, you can create more space with a cutlery tray. Also, you’ll be able to find objects much quicker when they’re organized than if they were all thrown together in a jumbled-up pile.
Use Glass Jars or Bins to Store Bulk Items
Often, many people store bulk items in the pantry, which takes up a ton of space and doesn’t look the prettiest. Instead of leaving bulk items in their original packaging, consider putting them in glass jars or plastic bins that you can display or stack neatly in your pantry.
When you use glass or plastic containers, you can see exactly what you have in the jar, and it looks much neater than a cardboard box or plastic bag. Some people even use them as decor and leave them on display in their kitchens. Either way, storing items in jars or bins can save space and improve the aesthetic of your kitchen.
Buy a Kitchen Cart for Extra Storage
One of the easiest ways to create more space in your kitchen is by buying a kitchen cart. It’s pretty self-explanatory, but a kitchen cart is all-purpose storage and workspace for your kitchen. Some people use them as coffee carts or cooking stations, while others use them purely for storage.
Typically, kitchen carts have drawers, hooks, baskets, and a small counter for additional workspace room. They also usually have wheels on the bottom so you can move them around for easy access or store it away when you’re done using them for the day.
Find a Designated Space for Everything
Finally, to stay organized, it’s best to find a designated place for everything, including small utensils, plastic grocery bags, and other random kitchen items floating around. After all, grocery bags, empty containers, and Tupperware are easy to throw in unexpected places.
However, if you want your kitchen to look organized and put together all the time, find a place for these irregular items and make an effort to keep them there at all times.
Making the Most of Your Rental Home
Although rental homes aren’t ideal for everyone, you have to make the most of your space. You likely won’t be there forever, so it’s important to make do with what you have. Following these DIY kitchen organization ideas can make you feel less stressed about a small kitchen or lack of storage space.
Remember, if you’re planning to install anything within your rental home, contact your landlord or property manager immediately to ensure it’s okay.
Reliable property management companies are here to help with all of your rental maintenance needs. Whether you need a small repair or have large maintenance issues, companies like Bay Property Management Group are here to help. So if you’re a landlord and you need management services in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Northern Virginia, or Washington DC, contact BMG today.
