whatever has been said..your landlord sounds like a real nice guy..:) unless of course you have agreement that your improvements hugely lower your rent? what I'd do though..if I was as handy and as eager as you.. -the mosaic in the kitchen where the backsplash is-hard to see whether a real backsplash or wallpaper? if wallpaper-get rid of it and repaint. if real mosaics-just repaint. ETA-ok reread your post..real mosaics. I love peel and stick options that do exist, but I'm not sure I'd go for them here..it's not so much mosaic as its placement..countertop backsplash plus mosaics plus wrap around..too much. And it won't be easy to find something that will work. But. Check your options. Etsy has pages upon pages of tile decals, for example. https://www.etsy.com/search?q=tile%20decals&ref=auto1&as_prefix=tile%20decals -you seem to have no space next to the stove..I know IKEA carries these narrow tables you know? or something of the kind..that you can put in between the stove and the fridge, have some landing surface, spot to place a pot you know -is the floor in the kitchen real tile or linoleum/vinyl? you can try and cover it with something if it irritates you of course(to me it's actually the worst offender. along with the blinds that I'd take out and put on curtains. but you're going to do that anyway). it can be tile decals, it can be floor cloth, it can be big inexpensive rug.. the rest of the kitchen, just deep clean and let be. new paint will make a huge difference -your door is fine..hard to see the living to make helpful furniture placement suggestion, but generally I find that sofa plus two chairs is the most versatile in most cases -the bathroom is cute and blue in cabinets picks up the flooring. Wallpaper is best to go though since it clashes with flooring. Clean the grout..and ask your landlord to change faucets etc if they're problematic. If they're not but you hate them-well maybe you can split the price. New paint, shower curtain that you love-and you're good. What's your style preference? I'm crazy about shower curtains so can look them up and suggest for you, and would be my pleasure:) you do need some "landing strip" as they call it..and I can't see whether youn can fit small dining table in the corner of the kitchen? .. if you want more suggestions about colors, furnishings, furniture layout and such, I recommend cross posting in Home Decorating forum. They(ok, us. lol) will ask you a bit more about dimensions, layout, preferences in style, budget, needs, etc. Congratulations on your first renting place, it's exciting..and good luck!

I would leave the counter as is, but stay away from blue walls and would suggest the same color as the creamy/white tiles on both the vanity and walls and change the hardware. Once you have made your other changes, then reconsider if you want to change it (would suggest a professional if you aren't handy). I think once you have added really great floor tiles, the room will all come together and the counter will only add to the look or not even be noticed. You could replace the medicine cabinet per the idea below and add sconces for a nice look.

I also vote no to the plastic liner. hard to clean and wasteful to just replace them all the time. Nylon curtains can be thrown in the wash and bleached (it's easier to wash them routinely though, before the bottom hem gets moldy). I use this kind of hook which makes that chore super easy. I used to have two curtains doubled up on regular hooks and that worked just fine, btw. double sided hooks or double rods are not really necessary unless you just like the way it looks.

I find it odd that a guest would ding you a star due to not having "updated" bathrooms, as presumably they would've viewed your listing photos before making the reservation! We prefer Airbnb when we travel, both internationally and in the U.S. For us, it's all about the location of the property and its amenities, as we have a specific list of needs that we usually aren't willing to compromise on. That said, I do not expect properties to be "updated", necessarily, but I do expect cleanliness and functionality. I don't expect broken down or shoddy, but from what I can tell by your photos, your bathroom looks to be perfectly pleasant -- if not the newest. I say this because I want to encourage you not to let that odd rating get you down. (It's like when potential buyers came to look at my previous home, built in 1940, after seeing the listing photos online. We had a couple complaining that countertops and floors were not "updated". Um, hello? You SAW THEM IN THE LISTING PHOTOS, dummies, so why'd you even come to look? ;-)) Keep your place clean and neat, well-stocked with supplies (plenty of fresh, clean, fluffy towels are a must), and don't fret the fact that your bathroom doesn't look like an "after" on HGTV. It doesn't have to. ETA: What are other rentals like in your area? Just be sure you're priced competitively, particularly if other places tend to have newer features.