Cobwebs? Absolutely. Pumpkins? Of course. A giant inflatable ghost taking over the patio? We’ll leave that decision up to you. 👻
Halloween is a great excuse to have a little fun with your home, and living in a rental doesn’t mean you have to skip the decorations. You just need to be a little more thoughtful about how you put them up.
Nails, screws, strong adhesives, artificial blood, heavy decorations, and even some seemingly harmless decorating hacks can leave behind holes, stains, residue, or other damage.
Fortunately, you can create a spooky atmosphere without making permanent changes to your apartment.
Before transforming your Missoula rental into a haunted house, check out these renter-friendly Halloween decorating ideas.
Start by Checking Your Lease and Community Rules
Before buying enough decorations to turn your apartment into a Halloween attraction, review your lease and any applicable community guidelines.
Rules can vary between properties, particularly when it comes to exterior areas and shared spaces.
Your property may have guidelines regarding:
- Patios and balconies
- Exterior doors
- Hallways
- Stairwells
- Windows
- Railings
- Outdoor lighting
- Lawn decorations
- Common areas
Decorations inside your apartment generally give you more flexibility, but you should still avoid anything that could permanently alter or damage the property.
When in doubt, check your community policies and resident resources before decorating.
1. Decorate With Things That Don’t Need to Be Attached
The easiest way to avoid wall damage is simple: don’t attach anything to the wall.
There are plenty of Halloween decorations that can sit on tables, counters, bookshelves, windowsills, or other surfaces.
Try decorating with:
- Pumpkins
- Mini pumpkins and gourds
- Battery-operated candles
- Halloween figurines
- Decorative bowls
- Lanterns
- Seasonal flowers
- Black or orange vases
- Decorative signs
- Halloween-themed books
- Candy bowls
Grouping a few decorations together can create more visual impact than scattering dozens of small objects throughout your apartment.
Create a Halloween Display
Choose one surface — such as an entry table, bookshelf, dining table, or kitchen counter — and make it your Halloween focal point.
Add a pumpkin, battery-operated candle, a few spooky decorations, and maybe a bowl of candy.
You’ll get plenty of Halloween atmosphere without attaching anything to the rental.
2. Be Careful With Adhesive Hooks and Strips
Removable adhesive products are popular with renters, but “removable” doesn’t necessarily mean they’re appropriate for every surface.
Some adhesives can pull away paint, leave residue, discolor walls, or damage certain finishes.
Always read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully and make sure the product is designed for the surface where you intend to use it.
Don’t Assume Every Wall Is the Same
An adhesive product that worked perfectly in your previous apartment might not behave the same way in your current rental.
Paint type, wall texture, humidity, surface preparation, and how long the adhesive remains in place can all affect removal.
If you’re unsure whether something is permitted, check your rental decorating guidelines or ask before using it.
3. Use Existing Hooks and Fixtures
Before creating a new place to hang something, look at what’s already available.
Existing hooks, curtain rods, shelving, and other appropriate fixtures may give you places to incorporate lightweight decorations without making new holes.
You might drape a lightweight Halloween garland over a curtain rod, place decorations on existing shelves, or use an existing hook for a seasonal decoration.
Just be careful not to overload fixtures or use them for something they weren’t designed to support.
4. Decorate Your Windows
Windows can be one of the best decorating opportunities in a rental because your Halloween display can be enjoyed from both inside and outside.
Try:
- Paper silhouettes
- Lightweight window clings
- Paper bats
- Halloween-themed curtains
- Battery-operated lights
- Removable decorations specifically designed for glass
A few black paper silhouettes can turn an ordinary window into a spooky Halloween scene without taking up any floor space.
Be Careful What You Apply to Glass
Use products specifically designed for windows and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Avoid paints, markers, adhesives, fake blood, or other products that aren’t intended for glass.
You don’t want November 1 to involve figuring out how to remove a permanent red handprint from your window.
5. Swap Your Everyday Décor for Halloween Versions
You don’t necessarily need to add more things to your apartment.
Instead, swap a few everyday items for seasonal versions.
For example:
- Replace regular throw pillows with Halloween pillow covers
- Add an orange or black throw blanket
- Swap kitchen towels
- Use a Halloween doormat
- Change your tablecloth or table runner
- Add seasonal bedding
- Use Halloween-themed bathroom towels
Textiles are one of the easiest ways to change the feel of a room without making permanent changes.
They’re particularly useful if you’re trying to make a small rental feel bigger, since you’re replacing existing items rather than adding more clutter.
6. Create Spooky Lighting Without Changing Fixtures
Lighting can completely transform a room.
Instead of replacing fixtures or making electrical changes, use temporary lighting to create a Halloween atmosphere.
Battery-powered candles, lanterns, and decorative lights can add a spooky glow without altering the rental.
You can also swap ordinary lampshades or use colored smart bulbs in compatible fixtures, provided you’re following the manufacturer’s instructions and safely storing the original bulbs.
Choose Battery-Operated Candles
Battery-operated candles can create the flickering look of candlelight without an open flame.
They’re especially useful around paper decorations, artificial cobwebs, curtains, pets, and other places where a real candle could create a fire hazard.
They also don’t drip wax onto furniture, counters, or floors.
7. Make the Front Door Festive
Your front door can give you plenty of decorating space without filling your apartment with Halloween décor.
A seasonal wreath or lightweight door decoration can add personality while taking up virtually no space.
Use an over-the-door wreath hanger or another approved method that doesn’t require drilling into the door.
Keep Entrances Clear
Whatever you add, make sure your decorations don’t interfere with the door opening and closing properly.
Nothing should block locks, door viewers, handles, building numbers, or other important features.
Decorations also shouldn’t create a tripping hazard outside the entrance.
If you live in an apartment community, review your community guidelines for doors and shared spaces before decorating the exterior of your unit.
8. Be Careful With Artificial Cobwebs
Artificial cobwebs are practically a Halloween decorating classic, but they deserve a little extra thought.
Indoors, keep them away from heaters, vents, smoke detectors, lights that generate heat, and open flames.
Outside, artificial webbing can become tangled, blow away, create litter, or potentially affect wildlife.
Consider using reusable fabric, gauze, lace, or other alternatives that can create a similar spooky effect and be easily removed after Halloween.
9. Let Pumpkins Do the Heavy Lifting
Few decorations say Halloween as effectively as pumpkins.
Best of all, they don’t require nails, screws, adhesives, or permanent changes.
Use pumpkins on:
- Tables
- Counters
- Shelves
- Entryways
- Patios, where permitted
- Balconies, where permitted
Mix different sizes, shapes, and colors for an easy seasonal display.
Don’t Forget About Them After Halloween
Real pumpkins don’t last forever.
Check them regularly and dispose of them before they begin leaking, rotting, staining surfaces, or attracting pests.
If you’re placing a pumpkin on a wood surface, carpet, or other potentially vulnerable area, put something appropriate underneath it.
10. Use Your Furniture as Part of the Theme
Your existing furniture can become part of your Halloween decorating without any permanent changes.
Try draping a dark throw over a chair, adding Halloween pillow covers to the sofa, placing a spooky centerpiece on the dining table, or styling a bookshelf with seasonal items.
Even a few small changes can make the room feel completely different.
If you already have darker furniture or décor, Halloween might be the one time of year when it does most of the decorating for you.
11. Make Your Own Paper Decorations
Some of the best Halloween decorations are also some of the cheapest.
Black construction paper can become:
- Bats
- Cats
- Spiders
- Ghosts
- Haunted houses
- Witch hats
- Ravens
- Creepy branches
Paper decorations are lightweight, easy to store, and inexpensive to replace.
They can work particularly well on windows when attached using an appropriate method designed for glass.
If you have children, making the decorations can also become part of the Halloween fun.
12. Don’t Forget About Your Patio or Balcony
If your rental has private outdoor space, you may be able to extend your Halloween decorating outside.
Pumpkins, a seasonal doormat, outdoor-safe lights, or a few freestanding decorations can add Halloween personality.
Before decorating, review the rules for your specific property.
Think About Montana Weather
October weather in Missoula can be unpredictable.
Wind, rain, freezing temperatures, and even snow can arrive before Halloween.
Outdoor decorations should be designed for outdoor use and secure enough that they won’t blow away.
That seven-foot inflatable ghost may look fantastic until a Montana wind gust sends it halfway across the parking lot.
Our fall checklist for Missoula renters has more tips for getting your rental and outdoor belongings ready as temperatures drop.
13. Avoid Decorations That Can Stain
Fake blood dripping down a wall may look wonderfully horrifying on Halloween.
The stain it leaves behind in January? Less wonderful.
Be cautious with products that contain dyes, paint, gel, wax, glitter, or other materials that could stain or damage:
- Walls
- Doors
- Cabinets
- Countertops
- Carpet
- Flooring
- Grout
- Furniture
- Exterior surfaces
When in doubt, use decorations that can simply be placed and removed.
The best renter-friendly Halloween decoration is one that disappears on November 1 without leaving evidence that it was ever there.
14. Keep Fire Safety in Mind
Halloween decorations can introduce additional fire hazards if they’re placed too close to heat sources or open flames.
Keep decorations away from:
- Baseboard heaters
- Heating vents
- Furnaces
- Stovetops
- Fireplaces
- Space heaters
- Hot light fixtures
- Candles
Never cover smoke detectors, sprinklers, vents, electrical panels, or other safety equipment with decorations.
If you’re already using your heat by Halloween, our fall heating guide for Missoula renters has additional tips for keeping heating vents and equipment unobstructed.
15. Don’t Block Walkways or Exits
That life-sized skeleton may be hilarious sitting in the hallway, but decorations shouldn’t make it harder to move safely through your home.
Keep doors, hallways, stairs, and exits clear.
Avoid extension cords across walkways, decorations hanging at face level, or objects positioned where someone could easily trip over them.
This is especially important if you’re expecting trick-or-treaters or Halloween guests who aren’t familiar with your home.
Halloween Decorating With Pets? Take Extra Precautions
If you share your rental with a pet, think about Halloween from their perspective.
Dangling decorations can look like toys. Small decorations can become choking hazards. Electrical cords can be tempting to chew. Chocolate and many types of Halloween candy can be dangerous for pets.
Place decorations, candy, and electrical cords where your pet can’t easily reach them.
If you’re currently apartment hunting with a four-legged roommate, our guide to renting with a pet in Missoula explains what to look for before applying.
Take Everything Down Carefully
Damage doesn’t always happen when decorations go up.
Sometimes it happens when they come down.
Don’t yank adhesive hooks, tape, or other products away from walls. Follow the manufacturer’s removal instructions carefully.
Remove decorations slowly and inspect the area as you go.
If you’re using reusable decorations, clean and store them properly so they’ll be ready for next Halloween.
You Don’t Need Permanent Changes to Create a Great Halloween Apartment
Living in a rental doesn’t mean your Halloween decorations have to be boring.
Focus on decorations you can place rather than attach. Use pumpkins, textiles, lighting, window decorations, existing fixtures, and your furniture to create the atmosphere you want.
Most importantly, keep your lease, community rules, safety, and the condition of the property in mind.
The goal is to make your apartment look spooky in October — not leave behind something scary when it’s time to move out.
If you’re searching for a new place to call home, browse our available Missoula rentals to explore apartments, townhomes, and rental homes managed by Missoula Property Management.