Q: I'm renting a flat for the first time and have a question. Do I need to include kitchen equipment if I advertise the property as 'furnished'? I don't know what the legal requirements are.
A: Furnished and unfurnished (and even part-furnished) are rather amorphous and unhelpful terms when it comes to lettings. There isn't a legal definition to guide landlords and tenants. In practice, sometimes furnished can mean a full complement of furniture and sometimes not. So landlords and tenants are best to approach the terms on a property by property basis.
But when it comes to the kitchen, if you’re letting a place as furnished it’s usually normal to provide a basic set of crockery, cutlery, glassware and cooking equipment that will be adequate for the number of tenants you have. Obviously, if you are letting a high-end establishment, you’ll want to provide a lot more.
Most furnished properties will include kitchen goods. We’d say this was a fair allocation per tenant: dinner plate, bowl, small plate, cutlery (fork, knife, spoon and teaspoon) plus a mug or two. Some glass tumblers, maybe some wine glasses is fair too.
Regarding cooking items, a few saucepans and a frying pan is fine, along with some utensils. You may want to add other items such as a bread board, tin opener and bread knife too. But there isn’t much need to provide more.
If you’re letting for the first time, talk to your prospective tenants and see what they will be bringing with them. They may well have a full complement of equipment and you’ll be keen to avoid the expense. If they have nothing, it’s relatively cheap to provide the basics. There is certainly no need to be lavish and sets can be bought for next to nothing. After all, fully expect stuff to get broken as they would in any household.
Over time, in our experience, a rented house does start to acquire more and more bits and bobs of kitchen equipment as old tenants move on. But don’t be bullied. If a tenant expects a furnished flat to come with a garlic press and colander, they’re probably best avoided.
photo credit: Geoff Livingston
Thanks Dan
I also had some confusion about what constitutes 'furnished' when I let my flat. In the end I did a quick trip around IKEA and bought more than I really needed. Just one of those greedy trips where you can buy all the stuff you've eyed off when you last went to buy a throw cushion.
I didn't learn until afterwards that there are furniture companies who will take a look at your flat, and then provide everything you need. Actually cost effective given you don't need to shop, wait for deliveries, assemble furniture etc.