Renting means the usual upgrades are off the table: no screwed rails, no built-in drawers, no holes the landlord will charge you for at move-out. But a small apartment kitchen still needs storage, and most of it can be added with zero damage and taken with you when you leave. The pieces below all come out clean, which is the part that matters most in a rental.
Mount on the wall without a drill
A no-drill wall-mounted rack ($27) holds lids, boards, and spoons with no holes, so it peels off clean at move-out. It's the fastest way to clear counter clutter in a rented kitchen, and the drip tray handles wet lids without marking the tile behind it. Five minutes to install, zero to undo.
Roll storage into the gap
Apartment kitchens often have a useless strip beside the fridge or stove. A slim rolling cart ($40) slides in on wheels and rolls out to cook, then disappears back into the gap. It's free-standing, so nothing is mounted and nothing is left behind when the lease ends and the truck is at the door.
Stack the cabinets you were given
You can't add shelves to a rented cabinet, but you can multiply the ones there. Clear stackable bins ($17) build two or three layers in the space one used to take, and they pack into a box when you move, so the storage travels with you to the next place instead of becoming the landlord's problem.
Slide the counter hogs away
If a stand mixer owns your counter, a bamboo slider tray ($35) rolls it under the cabinets and back out to use — no mounting, no damage, fully portable to the next apartment. The mixer keeps its easy counter access, and you keep the counter.
Everything above comes out clean. Start with the one that bothers you most, or see the full Small Kitchen set.