Are you allowed to put a new backsplash or paint the walls?

yes i am allowed to paint the walls..not sure what color everything is brown! although i have pretty simple taste

i am definitely getting a new ceiling light,,not sure which style though

FYI the paint color i currently have is Shaker Beige by BM

Grey walls will look more modern and a nice glass mosaic tiles backsplash will complete the picture.

any suggestions on grey paint to match all the brown? charcoal, gray owl BM ect..and are their removable (easily) glass tiles i can use?

No glass tile is easy to remove after you apply it to the wall. It is supposed to stick well and protect your walls from moisture. You can use the peel and stick kind on a masonite board cut to the size of your backsplash and attach the board to the wall with nails. When it is time to move out you only have to pull out the nails and the board is out. For the walls I would use a color in the grey-beige family.

Does your fridge open on the right or left? If the answer is left then change out the door hinges so it opens on the right.

I agree that putting money into the structure of a rental is a waste. I would keep the color of the walls and update and color-up the furniture. Decide on your favorite accent color and run with it. Aqua maybe? Coral? If it's aqua, for example, try painting the counter chairs in aqua and then soften all the hard surface with chair pads.
Try an affordable sectional sofa from IKEA in off-white with a splash of pillows in colors and patterns. Aqua, taupe, perhaps a pop of yellow or of coral.
If possible, place some white boxes or baskets above the kitchen cabinets and nothing else. It will de-clutter that area and add some visual height to the room. Same goes for above the fridge. Perhaps a wooden tray painted in the same color as your chairs and accent color to hide the stuff currently stacked up there.

Oh, and a simple dhurrie rug in front of the sofa to pull the living area together. Doesn't have to be expensive or large. 6 x 9 would suffice.

New curtains, table cloth or seat cushions, pillows, artwork can all add color and style. The paint is fine. Spend your time and money on things that are yours, not the landlord's.

Agree with others. The kitchen is actually not bad. Changing out the big brown poofy sofa is really what will improve things most. (It looks like a bear is hibernating in your living room.)

Just saw some really fun rugs at World Market for good prices.

thank you guys for your input...i can not purchase i new sofa at the moment. i have looked into SMART TILES..they are great for all the renters out there! They are removable and affordable..as for the paint i am leaning towards a grey accent wall in the kitchen and stainless tiles , and BM Intense White throughout the rest of the apartment

Remove the garbage can from the hall and buy a small one that fits under the sink.

Instead of gray-gray, try a blue gray or even a sea foam type color--it's a combo of blue and gray and green. Much more cheerful, and would look fabulous with that rug that leelee posted!

DON'T put in hardscape. Tiling takes time and money, and you won't get it back. The only way that I would agree to do something like that is if my landlord agreed to pay me for my time and materials.

I don't understand why you want impact in a rental kitchen and not in the living space. Why can't you get a new couch, craigslist? Declutter the kitchen and put up a trellis pattern valance and some fresh flowers on your kitchen table. Get some fresh throw pillows for couch and a rug to warm it up. Without any other pics of the space next to the kitchen it is hard to give too much advice, these pics are fuzzy too.

I've been looking at masses of Houzz kitchen photos to get a better understanding of what I like, figure out what in a photo creates the look & feeling that attracted me (or repelled me). I've come to think the main problem with "blah" is the lack of variation in pattern and color scale. People are spending bloody fortunes to replace whole kitchens, and they end up with a new style of blah. There's nothing wrong with anything you've got (including your big sofa, the chocolate brown is a great color), but everything is all the same color and there's no patterns at all. I recommend you paint only the backsplash area, and use COLOR, not grey or beige, that looks good with those perfectly nice cabinets. Then buy a throw with large pattern and some of that backsplash color and put it on the back of your sofa, or a few pillows with large-scale pattern. Put a table runner with color/pattern on your table. I also personally like to hang small pictures and such on my backsplash, which is one reason why I avoid tile. I'm totally with you about replacing the ceiling light, and you can take the fixture with you. Lamps Plus Open Box has some great deals, but watch it because they ship to you for free (i.e., the cost is built into the price), but unless it says otherwise you have to pay to ship them back and you can't just take them to the local Lamps Plus store.

How long do you intend to be there? Maybe, after a bit of time, your landlord will see the light and let you "update" their cabinets with some paint. Keep trying on that. If the job is done right, it's a win/win.
In the meantime ...
Leyla is right, "new" couch on CL would make a huge difference and it doesn't have to cost a fortune, it may actually cost less than paint/tile/etc.
How many dilemmas have a I read lately where the "have to keep the sofa" due to budget constraints, but will spend even more $ on new rug, new tables, new paint, new drapes ... ? A lot! I don't get it. I've tried this, decorating around the "big brown sofa/elephant" ... it didn't work.