Page 14 - aruba-today-20240425

A14 SCIENCE
Thursday 25 april 2024
8 ways to personalize your rental and get your deposit back

By RONITA CHOUDHURI- commodate bulbs with the
WADE of NerdWallet correct wattage and store
While renting apartments the originals.
in San Francisco, Malone 7. REMOVABLE WALLPAPER
Detro often made small Removable wallpaper
changes to the walls or fix- adds pattern and texture to
tures to match her particu- walls without causing per-
lar taste and budget. manent damage. Choose
“There are a lot of ways in a bold print to create an
which a rental home can accent wall and liven up
feel not like home,” says small spaces. Peel-and-
Detro, founder of Malone, stick options require preci-
an interior design and ar- sion to apply but shouldn’t
chitecture firm. leave a residue when re-
Detro says making cosmet- moved.
ic upgrades, even if you’re 8. FRESH PAINT
renting, can help you feel Adding fresh paint to the
excited about your living walls of an old apartment
space. can easily brighten and
“I think it helps, ultimately, modernize a rental. Detro
in you feeling proud about suggests choosing neu-
your home,” she says. A “For Rent” sign displays outside apartment building in Skokie, Ill., Sunday, April 14, 2024. tral colors that are easy to
Renting an apartment or Associated Press paint over and using fur-
house can mean a shorter an who rents in Tulsa, Okla- WARE tain open for me,” he says. nishings to bring color and
commitment than home homa, says “comfort and Cabinets are often the focal “That helps me get out of character to the room.
ownership and it’s often a feeling” are priorities when points in kitchens and bath- bed if I’m feeling lazy.” AFFORDING HOME UP-
more affordable option in it comes to updating his rooms. Update the look by 5. WINDOW FLAIR GRADES
major cities. However, rent- apartment. A focal point in replacing the knobs, pulls Curtains play an important Landlords generally don’t
ers may feel constrained his living room is a rug with or handles. Choose finishes role in setting the mood of pay for upgrades, or for re-
when personalizing a rent- images of bacon strips, a that complement existing a space. Blackout shades turning the rental to its origi-
ed space, especially when food he enjoys. fixtures and faucets. in a bedroom or light-filter- nal condition, which means
the landlord holds your se- “That’s something people Consider new pulls for the ing curtains for a living room you’ll likely have to pay out
curity deposit. walk in and they’ll notice,” closets, too. can add functionality. of pocket.
With a little creativity and he says. 4. SMART-HOME GADGETS “Window treatments are One way to make up-
your landlord’s approval 2. BETTER SHOWERHEADS Tech-enabled home ac- really easy to install your- grades worthwhile is to in-

there are ways to make A new rainfall or massag- cessories can make your self,” says Detro, who used vest in items you can bring
your rental feel more like ing showerhead can sig- rental more convenient. In tension curtain rods, which to your next home. For ex-
home and still get your de- nificantly boost your daily addition to Wi-Fi-enabled don’t require drilling holes pensive purchases, home
posit back. Here are eight shower experience, and plugs for lamps, Avitable and are easy to remove. improvement retailers like
lease-friendly home up- it’s easy to swap with an attached a voice-activat- 6. BRIGHTER LIGHT FIXTURES Amazon and Home De-
grades, from least to most existing head. Swap again ed smart device to his cur- Swapping outdated light pot offer payment plans
amount of work required. when you move out and tains. fixtures with stylish sconces like “ buy now, pay later
1. PERSONALIZED FLOOR take your upgraded show- “I just tell it in the morn- or pendants can elevate “ that allow you to pay in
COVERINGS erhead with you. ing, ‘open the bedroom,’ the look and feel of a room. installments over weeks or
Adam Avitable, a comedi- 3. STYLISH CABINET HARD- and it slides the entire cur- Choose fixtures that ac- months.q

Cyberattacks are on the rise, and that includes small businesses.

Here’s what to know

By MAE ANDERSON The human element is the cause of 74% of
AP Business Writer breaches, so owners should make sure all
NEW YORK (AP) — Cyberattacks on busi- of their employees use safeguards such as
nesses are rising, including small business- two-factor identification to make it harder
es. It’s a troubling trend because a breach to be hacked. Requiring employees to
can be very costly and time consuming regularly change their passwords can also
if owners don’t have a plan to deal with help.
one. If your business has been breached, it’s
According to the Verizon 2023 Data Breach best to work with a cybersecurity execu-
Investigations Report, the median cost per tive within your company or a trusted third
ransomware attack which features a type party to assess what happened and the
of malicious software designed to block damage done.
access to a computer system until a sum Trying to contain it without having the right
of money is paid more than doubled over technical knowledge can just make things
the past two years to $26,000. worse.
That’s partly because there has been a It’s also important to let the authorities
dramatic increase in ransomware attacks, know what happened. Attacks must be
A person works on a laptop in North Andover, Mass., on June which represent 24% of all breaches. reported to federal authorities within 72
19, 2017. Small businesses should first have a plan in hours after a company is reasonably sure
Associated Press place to prevent cyberattacks. one has occurred.q