How To
Upgrading Light Switches as a Renter Is Hard. MAGSI Fixes That.
Upgrading Your Light Switches as a Renter Is Expensive and Hard. MAGSI Covers Fix That.
If you rent, the light switch is one of the few things in your home you touch every day and cannot change. Replacing a switch is electrical work on a fixture that belongs to your landlord. It usually means asking permission, hiring someone, paying for it, and leaving it behind when you go. MAGSI covers are a new way around that: they replace the plate on your wall, install with the screws already there, and come with you when you move.
Why upgrading a switch is hard when you rent
- It is not yours. The switch is part of the building. Changing it is a permanent alteration, and most leases want a say in that.
- It is electrical work. That means an electrician, a scheduled visit and a bill, for something that is supposed to be a small upgrade.
- You do not get to keep it. Even if you pay, the new switch stays with the apartment. You are decorating the landlord's property.
- The easy option changes nothing. A new plate is cheap and simple, but white, ivory and brushed metal plates all look like the plate you already have.
So most renters never touch their switches. They paint nothing, drill nothing and live with the same plastic rectangle beside every door.
What is a MAGSI cover?
We invented it. A MAGSI cover is not a plate and not a switch replacement. It replaces the plate you have now and gives the switch a color, a shape and a feel. There is nothing to wire and no new holes in the wall.
- It uses the screws already in your wall.
- It comes off with a screwdriver, so the original plate goes straight back.
- It goes with you. It is yours, not the apartment's.
It comes in four colors: Azure, Karsh, Olea and Boring. The range is built around the switches renters actually have, single and double, rocker and toggle.
How the swap works
- Check your switch. Note whether you have a single or double toggle or rocker. Dimmers are not supported, and neither are three- or four-gang plates.
- Unscrew the old plate. Keep the screws with it.
- Secure the bracket. The Magic Bracket goes on with the same screws you just removed.
- Snap the cover on. The whole job takes a few minutes and no drill.
- Bag the original plate. Label it with the room.
Switch T-2 is a pre-order and ships early December 2026, so you can plan the swap before it arrives. The install guide has the model-by-model videos if you want to see it done.
Will I lose my deposit?
Deposits are withheld for damage and for changes that were not undone. A MAGSI cover leaves neither. Keep the original plate and its screws in a bag, and move-out is a two-minute job. If your lease mentions fixtures or alterations, a short message is cheap insurance: "I am swapping the switch plates for removable ones and will reinstall the originals when I leave." A written yes is worth keeping. For the rest of the list, see the Renter Apartment Upgrade Checklist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it so hard to upgrade a light switch in a rental?
The switch belongs to the landlord, replacing it is electrical work, and whatever you install stays with the apartment. That makes it costly and permanent for something that should be simple.
Can I change a switch plate without an electrician?
Swapping a plate does not involve the wiring, and most people do it with a screwdriver. If anything behind the plate looks damaged, stop and call your landlord or an electrician.
What do I do with the old plate?
Keep it, with its screws, in a bag. You will put it back when you move.
Can I take a MAGSI cover with me?
Yes. Remove it, reinstall the original plate, and it moves to your next place.
Does it work on dimmers?
No. MAGSI covers fit single and double toggle and rocker switches only.
Artist Spotlight
Piet Mondrian
Piet Mondrian built a lifetime of work from three primary colors, black lines and white, and in 1917 he co-founded the De Stijl movement with Theo van Doesburg, whose construction is pictured above. His idea fits a rental: a large white field beside one small block of color reads louder than a wall of color would. He treated his Paris studio the same way, with colored card on white walls that he could move around and nothing painted in. Pick one accent, put it where eyes already land, and keep it removable.
