The customizable rent that HOW Australians changes live – realestate.com.au

From function walls to furniture packages, these apartments offer tenants new liberties to personalize their space.

In the Australia rental market, tenants often face strict rules when it comes to personalizing their homes. The regulations vary per state, but in a typical rent, most changes have to be cleaned up with landlords and there is often little opportunity to make a room really like yours.

But the developments for Build -T -Rent (BTR) are changing that by giving tenants new liberties, including the possibility of adjusting their houses from the first day.

Mirvac BTR sector Lead Angela Buckley told Realestate.com.au that it is a deliberate part of the model.

“The resident is the customer, and our business model trusts that they will stay and want to stay – as long as possible, so we want to encourage that clearly,” said Mrs. Buckley.

“It’s really about your individuality and that you can express it. You can come home and know that it is yours – that helps you feel that you belong.”

What makes BTR different from typical rental

BTR developments are entire buildings with several units where each apartment is rented directly to a tenant, instead of being individual property.

In contrast to traditional rental, a BTR -HIGHER good is a targeted, professionally managed and designed for long -term tenants.

For tenants, the benefits often include longer lease contracts, maintenance on location, inclusive facilities and the ability to adjust.

In fact, a greater ability to personalize a rental home was mentioned as the second most mandatory function of BTR properties – after rental protection – in a survey of 2024 conducted by REA Group.

For many BTR developers, offering personalization is a way to help residents feel more at home and to encourage them to stay longer and to deliver benefits for all parties. For them it lowers the speed of tenant turnover.

Mirvac has its BTR portfolio under the LIV brand, with five projects in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. The newest – Liv Albert in Brunswick – was opened in August 2025 and delivered 498 houses alongside more than 2400 m² of shared facilities, including a gym, cooperating areas, private -eetkamers, a courtyard and more.

Another developer in space is Novus, with his first BTR project on Sturt in Southbank in Melbourne.

Residents here enjoy a line -up of hotel style of facilities, including a pool deck, full gym and studio paste, library and playroom and podcast studio.

Novus enables residents to make personalizations, such as mounting TVs on walls. Photo: realestate.com.au

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CEO Adam Hirst said it is about giving residents both choice and security.

“We want to offer a house that is so good that a resident will never want to leave. Residents allow the freedom of choice, together with flexible lease conditions and safety, help to overcome a major obstacle in traditional rental markets,” Hirst said.

“Allowing personalizations in an apartment is only the icing on top of a lot of tenant benefits associated with life in a build-to-rent apartment.”

What you can adjust

Not all BTRs offer the same level of flexibility, but many go much further than small changes.

With LIV projects, residents can paint the walls, install hooks and hang artworks and choose furniture packages – or take their own with them.

“Some people love the entire furniture package, others want to paint a wall – it’s all about getting different needs,” said Mrs. Buckley.

Residents have similar options in Novus.

“Our residents are able to personalize their apartment to really make it feel like their own,” said Mr. Hirst.

“In some cases it is as simple as mounting a TV, in other cases it is a dash of color on a wall.”

LIV developments enable residents to paint the walls of their apartments and to hang artworks. Pictyre: Mirvac

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Although personalization is encouraged, there are still rules. Most BTR providers set boundaries to protect building safety, to maintain design consistency and to keep apartments in good condition for future tenants.

With Novus, the main rule is reversibility.

“Adjustments must be reversible to restore the apartment when a lease agreement expires,” said Mr. Hirst.

“In most cases – things like painting a wall or changing a curtain – are easily recovered.”

For Mirvac, the only absolute limitation is structural changes, said Mrs. Buckley.

By giving tenants the freedom to personalize their space, whether through a play wall or furniture package, BTR providers say that they create houses that people want to stay and neighborhoods that feel from the start – from the start.

“We have more than two and a half thousand inhabitants today and we always hear that feedback, so it comes down to individuality and belongs,” said Mrs. Buckley.

For tenants who want the stability of a long lease and the flexibility to really make a house their own, these adjustable rental points can simply offer the best of both worlds.

Are you interested in more information about build-to-interest developments? View our new housing area.