How to Soundproof a Rented Room
If you're renting in a busy city, you already know the drill. Traffic at 6am, a neighbour's TV bleeding through the wall, and the commotion from the flat upstairs somehow peaks right when you're trying to sleep. The frustrating part is that most soundproofing advice online assumes you own the place and can rip up floors or add secondary glazing. When you're renting, that's obviously not an option.
But there are plenty of things you can do that won't upset your landlord or eat into your deposit. Let's get into what actually works in a rented room, and why some fixes will do more than others.
Photography by Devon Janse van Rensburg
Seal the Gaps First
Sound travels through air, so the first thing to tackle is any gaps around your doors and windows. You'd be surprised how much noise sneaks in through the crack under a bedroom door or a poorly sealed window frame.
Self-adhesive draught-proofing strips are cheap and easy to apply, and they peel off without leaving marks. Stick them around the edges of your door frame and along window seals where you can feel a draught coming in. For the gap under the door, a simple draught excluder (the kind you just slide on) will make a noticeable difference. This goes double if your bedroom faces a noisy hallway or the front door.
Wall Panels That Don't Need Screws
If you want to go a step further, fabric covered acoustic panels are designed to absorb sound and cut down echo in a room. The good news for renters is that many of them mount with adhesive strips or removable fixings, so you won't need to drill into anything. They come in different colours and sizes too, so they'll double as decor instead of making your room look like a padded-out recording studio.
Place them on the wall that faces the most noise, or on two opposite walls if you can. Even a couple of panels will cut down on the reverb that makes a room feel loud and uncomfortable.
Heavy Curtains and Soft Furnishings
Hard surfaces bounce sound around, which is why an empty room always sounds echoey. Adding soft textures will absorb some of that noise and make the space feel quieter overall.
Thick, lined curtains are one of the easiest wins here. They won't block out a jackhammer, but they'll take the edge off street noise and reduce the echo inside your room. Layered rugs on hard flooring do a similar job underfoot. And if you've got bare walls, even hanging a few thick blankets or textile wall hangings will help dampen the sound bouncing between surfaces.
Don't Forget Your Floor
If you're in an upstairs flat, your downstairs neighbour will thank you for this one. A thick underlay beneath a rug will absorb impact noise from footsteps and general movement. You don't need to cover the whole room either. Just the main area where you walk and sit will do the job.
Interlocking foam tiles are another renter-friendly option for hard floors. They're easy to lift and take with you when you move, so you won't be leaving anything behind.
Make Your Room Work for You
Living in a rented flat doesn't mean you have to put up with constant noise. A few targeted changes can make a genuine difference to how your room sounds. Draught strips on the door, thicker curtains, a rug or two, maybe a couple of acoustic panels. You don't need a big budget or a toolbox. You just need to know where the noise is getting in and how to soften its impact once it's there.
This is a sponsored article.
