TL;DR
- Renter-safe adhesives like Command strips and mounting hooks hold most decorations without chipping the paint.
- On the door, you can easily attach items like wreaths, bunting, and cut-outs.
- On the balcony, place string lights, cheesecloth ghosts, and painted pumpkins that passersby can see from street level.
- Inside, swap out throw pillows, add battery-operated candles, and use printable art to get into the spirit of the season.
- Landlords can use tenant communication tools to send a building-wide Halloween safety reminder within minutes.
When September rolls around, the fake cobwebs, flickering lights, and plastic tombstones appear in grocery stores, and it’s hard to resist the impulse to get some spooky decor. If you’re renting, you might be worried about losing your security deposit, but there’s some good news: you have numerous renter-friendly options for apartment Halloween decorations.
Most of these items will get you ready for the holidays without damage to your walls or ceilings. In this guide, we’ve put together 25 Halloween decor ideas grouped by where to put them, plus an airtight rundown of renter-safe rules to protect your deposit. (There’s also a short section for landlords managing building-wide decor.)
Why a Small Rental Is Easier to Decorate
Some renters might be tempted to skip apartment Halloween decorations altogether, but smaller square footage will work in your favor here. Add a few cheesecloth ghosts and fake cobwebs here and there, and your 450-square-foot studio apartment is good to go. (A 2,000-square-foot house, not so much.)
Beyond saving you money on decorations, you’ll also get to save some time. Most of the apartment Halloween decorations in this guide should take less than 30 minutes to set up and can be easily packed up and stored come November (without damaging your walls, floors, or ceilings, of course).
Protect Your Deposit First
Before you start thinking about where to hang that glow-in-the-dark skeleton, take your security deposit into account. These five strategies will help you avoid the dreaded deposit deduction come move-out:
- Hang lightweight decorations with removable adhesives like Command strips, which usually peel off cleanly and don’t take paint with them.
- Don’t use hardware or anything that will require touch-up paint after removal.
- Swap open flames for battery-operated candles to lower fire risk.
- Check your lease for rules on shared-hallway and balcony decorations.
- Keep walkways and emergency exits clear if you decorate outside.
When in doubt, refer to the photos and videos from your move-in checklist to make sure you can bring your apartment back to exactly how it looked on your first day as a tenant.
Start With the Front Door
Everyone who walks by your apartment will see your front door, and it’s hands-down the easiest space to decorate. Most of the ideas below only require a single hook or a strip of painter’s tape.
- Statement wreath: Use a removable hook to hang a wreath with fake bats, tiny pumpkins, or orange-and-black faux flowers.
- Halloween welcome mat: Swap your regular doormat for one with a witch silhouette or a ghost design.
- Adhesive door decals: Large, vinyl spider decals or full-door covers can transform your plain apartment door. (Just test a small area first to make sure you can peel it back off.)
- Hanging skeleton: Plastic skeleton cut-outs are lightweight and can make an impression from a distance.
- String lights around the doorframe: Attach a couple of strings of battery-powered orange or purple fairy lights around the doorframe with Command hooks.
- Paper bat bunting: Cut bat shapes from black cardstock, string them on a length of twine, and tape the ends above your door with painter’s tape or renter-friendly hooks.
- Wood or foam sign: Do some thrifting for signs that say things like “Enter If You Dare” or “Boo!” (If you’re the crafty type, you can even DIY this one at home.)
Decorate the Balcony
If you dress up your balcony for Halloween, passersby will be able to see your decorations right from the street. None of these apartment balcony Halloween decorations require a drill, but don’t forget that the weather could make its mark.
- Pumpkin patch corner: Set five to 10 pumpkins of varying heights in one corner. While real pumpkins might feel a little more festive, foam versions won’t rot (and it’s nearly impossible to notice the difference from afar).
- Faux gravestone display: Lean foam or cardboard gravestones against the railing to create a cemetery-esque look.
- String lights: LED string lights rated for outdoor use will hold up through wind and rain. Pick a festive color, like orange or purple, and wind the light strands through the balcony railing.
- Cheesecloth ghosts: This one requires some extra effort, but the result is worth the work. First, soak cheesecloth in a glue-and-water mixture, then set the cloth over an inflated balloon and let it dry. When you remove the balloon, you’ll have a ghost-like figure that holds its shape, perfect for outdoor display.
- Black tulle and faux cobwebs: Drape tulle along the railing and add fake cobwebs to the corners to create an instant haunted look. You can add a few inconspicuous pieces of tape to make sure nothing blows away in the wind.
- Spooky silhouette cutouts: Tape paper witch profiles or ghosts inside your sliding glass door, and you’ll have a decoration that can be enjoyed both indoors and out on the balcony.
- Black flowers and decorative gourds: Similar to the pumpkin patch corner, you can make an artsy arrangement with black flowers and painted gourds on your patio table or by your door.
- Painted pumpkins: Carving pumpkins in a small apartment is a huge mess waiting to happen, even before the pumpkins begin to turn. Paint your jack-o’-lanterns instead for an activity that’s just as fun and requires less cleanup.
Turn Your Apartment Into a Haunted House
Now that you’ve got the outside of your apartment decorated, let’s move on to the inside. You can make small changes here and there, or go all out for maximum spookiness.
Living Room
- Halloween throw pillows and blankets: Put your regular throw pillows and blankets in storage and bring out some festive prints or darker colors.
- Battery-operated candles: Real candles pose a major fire risk, but you can get the same ambiance and flickering light with a few battery-operated candles. (Some even have fragrances, just like real the real thing.)
- Potion bar display: Pick up a handful of mason jars, add masking-tape tags (think “Eye of Newt” or “Witch’s Brew”), fill them with colored water, and place them on the kitchen counter.
- Paper bat wall: Cut a few dozen bat shapes from black construction paper and use painter’s tape to attach them to a corner of your wall, spreading outward to imitate a real swarm.
Kitchen
- Dish towels and table runners: Put a Halloween-themed dish towel over the oven handle or a black-and-orange runner on the kitchen island.
- Soap dispenser swap: Replace your typical soap dispenser with one shaped like a skull or pumpkin.
- Mason jar lanterns: Fill glass jars with battery-operated tea lights, tape black construction-paper spiders to the outside, and perch them on your windowsill.
Bedroom
- Halloween-print bedding: A purple, orange, or Halloween-themed duvet cover makes your whole bedroom feel holiday-ready with minimal effort.
- Garlands: Cut construction paper into strips, staple the strips into chain links, and voila: you have a cheap, nostalgic garland you can string around your room with painter’s tape.
- Printable vintage Halloween art: Search for Halloween art online and print it on cardstock. You can hang it as-is, but if you really want to go the extra mile, pick up a few picture frames from your local thrift store to display your pieces.
What Landlords Should Do Before October 31
Landlords, this section is for you. To prevent disputes between tenants or unexpected maintenance calls, you should take a few simple steps before Halloween:
First, determine what restrictions (if any) you want to place on exterior decorations. Your exact rules might vary, but generally speaking, common areas should stay passable to all tenants. Local fire codes also require the exits to be accessible at all times.
To encourage your tenants to get into the spirit of the season, consider offering an incentive, like a door-decorating contest with a $25 gift card as the prize. You can also send out a trick-or-treat sign-up sheet to let families know which units will welcome kids on Halloween.
On that note, remember to warn everyone about the hazards to pets in the building. Chocolate is dangerous to both cats and dogs, and xylitol (in candy and sugar-free gum) can be life-threatening to dogs, so make sure your tenants don’t leave bowls of sweets within the reach of passing pets.
To avoid seasonal friction, landlords should keep tenants in the loop early and often. A good landlord-tenant relationship usually comes down to one well-timed message. Around mid-September or so, send out a short notice regarding hallway decor, open-flame rules, balcony items, and pet hazards.
Ready to haunt the halls?
The 25 ideas here should give you a good starting point for a fun, safe, and, of course, renter-friendly Halloween. You don’t have to miss out on decorating for the holidays just because you live in an apartment (you’ll just have to take a few extra precautions first).
Renters should start with their lease agreements. Pull up the decorating clause and any shared-hallway restrictions, then pick three to five ideas that don’t conflict with your lease. Don’t forget to brush up on your tenant rights and responsibilities, which are worth a quick read before you start hanging anything.
Landlords, meanwhile, should start drafting up that safety reminder we mentioned. Plan to send it sooner rather than later, and use secure, convenient tenant communication tools (such as those offered in TenantCloud) to speed up the process.
To see what else TenantCloud can do, sign up for a free, 14-day trial today.
Questions Renters Ask Before They Decorate
How do I decorate my apartment for Halloween without damaging walls?
Use removable adhesives and painter’s tape to hang lightweight apartment Halloween decorations. Remove them slowly and pull parallel to the wall rather than outward, to prevent any paint lifting. You can also get creative by adding decorations to balcony railings or corners, without drilling holes or hammering in nails.
What are the best Halloween decorations for small apartments?
In a small apartment, focus on pieces you can hang on vertical surfaces, such as paper bats and window silhouettes. Going this route will save you valuable floor space while still giving you a spooky effect.
Can I put Halloween decorations on my apartment balcony?
Most leases permit Halloween decor on balconies, but some buildings restrict items visible from the street (especially in HOA-governed communities). With that in mind, check your lease to make sure there are no rules against balcony decorations. Regardless, make sure outdoor pieces are weatherproof and weighted or taped down to protect against wind.
How do I decorate my apartment door for Halloween?
You can use removable adhesive hooks to attach most Halloween decor for apartment doors without hardware. In buildings with shared hallways, check your lease or ask your property manager first, as many buildings restrict corridor decorations to comply with fire codes.
Are there fire safety rules for Halloween decorations in apartments?
Yes. Many leases in multi-unit buildings ban open flames outright, though you can replace real candles with battery-operated ones. Aside from candle rules, keep all decorations away from heat sources and keep emergency exits clear to comply with fire code.
