Bark chips are not that expensive seeming you are rental. I would avoid crushed tiles.
being a rental, make sure it's something that will break down ok when you leave as the last thing you want is a bill to clean it up if the land lord doens't want it there! sugar cane mulch breaks down very well over a couple of years
Pigface or gazania are hardy and spread quickly.
i second the pigface!! you can get lots of colours, the bright pink is awesome and its growns resonably fast!!
weedmat!! That takes care of the "low maintenance" bit
Then add in something like pigface or gazania as suggested and top it with any type of mulch (any kind) to help maintain moisture levels. Lots of mulch - about 5cm thick, preferably more. Makes a huge difference.
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