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Won $6k, want to upgrade my rent stabilized apt without pissing off LL – what’s actually allowed?

Been in my rent stabilized place for a few years, planning to stay long term. Just hit a nice $6k win and thinking about making this place more liveable since I’m basically locked into these great 2% increases.

The bathroom is depressing, kitchen is straight out of 1975, and everything feels grimy no matter how much I clean. But I know rent stabilized LLs can be super petty about ANY changes.

For those who’ve dealt with this – what upgrades can I realistically do without getting into a war with my LL? I know I can’t touch plumbing or electrical, but there’s gotta be some grey area between “hang pictures” and “gut renovation” right? Dishwasher on wheels? Portable washing machine?

Specifically wondering about:

– Those peel and stick backsplashes – do they actually look decent?

– Can I upgrade light fixtures if I keep the old ones?

– Is painting really allowed or is that just something everyone “gets away with”?

– Anyone tried those vinyl floor overlays?

Also interested in furniture solutions, and looking for actual apartment improvements I can get away with. Really don’t want to screw up my stabilized status over some backsplash tiles…