Renting Your Property - Furnished or unfurnished?

If you are thinking of letting out your property but are debating whether it is worth offering it as furnished or unfurnished, look no further, this blog will summarise the advantages and disadvantages of each so you can make an informed decision…

Furnished Rentals

The fully furnished option, as its name suggests, should include all the main furnishings that would allow a tenant to move in immediately, examples of this are all the core items e.g. a bed, sofa, wardrobes, dining table, chairs etc. White goods would also fall under this category and would require items such as a washing machine, fridge/freezer and in some cases a dishwasher. Despite there being no formal definition or specific requirements to consider yourself ‘fully furnished’, it is typical for kitchen appliances such as a kettle, iron, ironing board etc to be included in this as well.

The most significant benefit of letting a furnished property is that is commands a higher rent due to the convenience and immediate habitability. Additionally, in some areas furnishings might make a property more desirable, for example if it was for a shared house near a university or in certain areas of London.

However, there are legal considerations that might provide some obstacles to letting out a furnished property, these include; the need the insure each item, annual PAT testing of electrical goods and fire safety labels must be present on all soft furnishings. Furthermore, there is cost associated with the maintenance and replacement of the goods where natural wear and tear has occurred, this would all be the landlord’s responsibility.

Unfurnished Rentals

Unfurnished rentals, only contain all the built-in features and bare necessities of a home such a flooring, sanitary wear, fitted kitchen and generally an oven and hob. In many cases, landlords may add include integrated appliances in addition to this such as a fridge/freezer, dishwasher or washing machine.

The advantage of unfurnished is that it is an easier and quicker option, with much less upfront cost. Our experience has found that properties typically look more spacious without furniture and for an average rental in our local area of Taunton, unfurnished tends to be preferable to applicants who may want freedom to decorate and furnish to their own tastes.

Conclusion

In summary we generally feel that unfurnished properties present less headache and cost for landlords and attract longer term tenants. However, if you do find yourself with a lot of furniture (perhaps inherited) that you want to avoid having to pay storage costs for, you may find the furnished option is more convenient.