Or simply hand over the keys to an empty property and let the tenant bring their own?
If you’re preparing a property to let, deciding whether to offer it furnished or unfurnished can seem like a relatively straightforward choice.
Furnish it and perhaps you can charge more rent.
Leave it empty and there’s less for you to maintain.
Simple.
Except, as with many things in property, the answer isn’t quite that straightforward.
At Ellis Winters, we’d argue that the real question isn’t:
“Would I prefer this property furnished?”
It’s:
“What will the tenants looking for this particular property prefer?”
And the answer can vary considerably.
Who are you trying to attract?
This is probably the most important consideration.
Think about two very different rental properties.
A compact apartment in a location popular with professionals may attract tenants who value the convenience of being able to arrive with relatively few possessions and move straight in.
A three or four-bedroom family house could attract tenants planning to stay for several years who have already accumulated sofas, beds, children’s furniture and everything else that comes with family life.
Providing furniture they don’t need could actually make that second property less appealing.
There’s little benefit in filling a house with furniture if every prospective tenant immediately asks:
“Can the landlord remove all this?”
What does “furnished” actually mean?
This is another area where expectations can differ.
One person’s idea of furnished might be:
Beds + sofa + dining table.
Another may expect wardrobes, bedside tables, chairs and other essential furniture too.
If you’re marketing a property as furnished, prospective tenants need a clear understanding of what’s actually included.
A good inventory becomes particularly important too, providing a record of the furniture and other landlord-owned items supplied with the property and their condition at the start of the tenancy.
Could furnished mean higher rent?
Potentially.
In some markets, tenants may be willing to pay more for the convenience of a properly furnished home.
But landlords shouldn’t automatically assume that buying £5,000 worth of furniture will generate a sufficiently higher rent to justify the investment.
The relevant question is what comparable properties are achieving in your local rental market.
If furnished properties are particularly sought after by your likely tenant demographic, it may make commercial sense.
If most tenants want unfurnished homes, spending thousands furnishing yours could simply leave you with additional possessions to maintain and eventually replace.
Furniture creates responsibilities too
Everything you supply becomes another item that may need attention.
Sofas wear.
Bed frames break.
Dining chairs become loose.
Mattresses eventually need replacing.
If a landlord supplies furniture as part of the tenancy, its condition and safety need appropriate consideration. Upholstered furniture provided by landlords must meet applicable fire-safety requirements.
This doesn’t mean furnishing a rental property is a bad idea.
It simply means the cost isn’t limited to buying the furniture once.
Think about its whole lifespan.
Unfurnished doesn’t necessarily mean completely empty
It’s worth remembering that an unfurnished rental property isn’t necessarily an empty shell.
Many unfurnished homes are still offered with items such as fitted kitchen appliances, flooring, curtains or blinds, although exactly what’s included varies.
That’s why clarity in the property particulars and inventory matters.
Tenants should know what will remain at the property when they move in rather than discovering on moving day that the washing machine they saw during the viewing belonged to the previous tenant.
What about part-furnished?
This can sound like the perfect compromise.
And sometimes it is.
Perhaps a tenant loves the property but already owns a sofa and bed while needing a dining table and wardrobes.
If landlord and tenant can agree what remains, a part-furnished arrangement may work extremely well.
However, it needs to be clear.
Which items belong to the landlord?
Which belong to the tenant?
What has the landlord agreed to remove?
What’s recorded on the inventory?
A vague “some furniture included” is far less helpful than everyone understanding the arrangement from the beginning.
Think carefully before storing unwanted furniture
Here’s a scenario landlords sometimes encounter.
A tenant loves the property but wants it unfurnished.
The landlord agrees to remove everything.
Now what?
If you’ve nowhere appropriate to put a sofa, two beds, three wardrobes and a dining set, you may suddenly have another expense: storage.
Alternatively, you might sell or dispose of the furniture, only for your next tenant to ask whether the property can be furnished.
Flexibility can help secure a good tenant, but it’s worth thinking through the practical consequences before promising that everything can simply disappear.
Furnished properties need to photograph well
If you’re going to furnish a rental property, presentation matters.
A few carefully chosen, appropriately sized pieces can help prospective tenants understand how a room works.
Too much furniture can have the opposite effect.
An enormous sofa squeezed into a modest lounge doesn’t demonstrate generous accommodation – it can make the room look smaller.
Equally, tired or mismatched furniture isn’t necessarily going to make a property more desirable simply because it’s included.
Furnished should feel convenient, not cluttered.
Think about the length of tenancy you want
There’s also a longer-term consideration.
Tenants who already own furniture may be more established and could be looking for somewhere they can make their home for several years.
Other tenants may specifically need furnished accommodation because they’re relocating, starting out or only expect to remain in an area for a particular period.
Neither type of tenant is inherently better.
The important thing is understanding which market your property naturally serves.
So, furnished or unfurnished?
There isn’t one answer.
A furnished apartment could be exactly what tenants in that particular market are looking for.
The same furniture placed in a family house could become an obstacle.
Before spending money, look at:
the type of property you own
its location
likely tenant demographic
comparable rental properties
potential difference in achievable rent
cost of buying and replacing furniture
storage implications
likely length of tenancy.
Most importantly, don’t furnish a rental property simply because you personally think it looks better that way.
At Ellis Winters, our lettings teams understand the rental markets across Cambridgeshire and the Fens and can advise landlords on how best to position a property before it comes to market.
Sometimes that means furnished.
Sometimes unfurnished.
Sometimes somewhere in between.
Because the best rental property isn’t necessarily the one you’d choose to live in yourself.
It’s the one that best meets the needs of the tenants you’re trying to attract.
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Sasha is a marketing specialist with 20 years experience. Her career has spanned marketing, counselling, and even funeral care - giving her a uniquely people-centred approach to every brief she takes on. She thrives in roles where she can use the written word and where empathy and clarity matter. Outside of work, she fosters animals (including a skunk and a sphynx!) and volunteers with local charities.
