Furnished or Unfurnished? Tips for Landlords
When furnishing a rental pays off, when it's smarter to leave it bare, and why the middle ground often wins.
How you furnish a rental is one of the first big calls you'll make as a landlord, and it comes down to the tenant you want to attract. Each approach has trade-offs — what suits one renter won't suit the next. Here's what the options actually mean.
What furnished means
A furnished let includes the furniture as part of the tenancy. There's no fixed list, but a good benchmark is everything someone needs to move in and live comfortably. Spell out exactly what's included in the tenancy agreement and inventory so there's no confusion later.
What unfurnished means
Unfurnished doesn't mean empty. It usually still includes white goods — an oven and fridge — and often curtains or blinds and small kitchen appliances, just no free-standing furniture.
What partially furnished means
A middle ground: the landlord supplies the bigger items like beds, wardrobes and sofas, and the tenant brings the rest. Exactly what's provided is agreed when the tenancy is signed.
Which works best?
All three are common; the right choice depends on your target tenant. Furnished suits first-time and short-term renters who don't want to buy everything at once. Unfurnished appeals to those who already own furniture or want a blank canvas, and tends to offer more flexibility — which is why there's more of it about. If you're torn, partially furnished lets both sides have a say.
Let's find your next room, or your next resident.
10 Enterprise Way
London SW18 1FZ
Currently onboarding new homes & residents