Part-furnished

A part-furnished property, sometimes called semi-furnished, is a rental let where the landlord supplies some but not all of the furniture and appliances, most commonly the white goods plus a few larger items, with the tenant providing the rest. It sits between a fully furnished and an unfurnished let. There is no statutory definition of "part-furnished" in the UK, so the exact contents must be itemised in the tenancy agreement and the inventory.

What part-furnished usually includes

Part-furnished is the most variable of the three terms, because it has no fixed meaning at all. At a minimum it usually includes the white goods, a cooker, fridge freezer and washing machine, that a tenant would find expensive or impractical to move. Beyond that, landlords commonly add a few larger pieces such as a bed, a sofa, or a dining table and chairs, while leaving the tenant to supply wardrobes, smaller furniture and personal items. Because what counts as part-furnished differs from one property to the next, listing the exact items provided is the only way to avoid disputes on moving day.

Why landlords choose part-furnished

Part-furnished is a practical middle ground. It removes a tenant's biggest moving headaches, the heavy appliances, without committing the landlord to furnishing and insuring an entire property. From working with self-managing landlords across the UK, part-furnished often emerges by default, when a previous tenant leaves items behind or an owner keeps a few of their own pieces in the property after moving out.

The compliance position follows what the landlord actually supplies. Any upholstered furniture provided, such as a sofa or a bed, must meet the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 and carry the required fire-safety label. The landlord is responsible for repairing or replacing the supplied items, and can claim Replacement of Domestic Items relief when replacing them on a like-for-like basis. Items the tenant owns remain the tenant's responsibility.

Frequently asked questions

What does part-furnished mean? 

Part-furnished means the landlord provides some, but not all, of the furniture and appliances, typically the white goods and a few larger items, with the tenant supplying the rest. There is no legal definition, so the contents should be listed in the inventory.

Is part-furnished the same as semi-furnished? 

Yes. "Semi-furnished" is another term for the same arrangement, a property that falls between fully furnished and unfurnished. Neither term has a fixed legal meaning, so the included items should always be confirmed in writing.

For help deciding which level suits your property, see our guide to letting furnished, part-furnished or unfurnished, and track the fire-safety obligations on any furniture you supply with August's compliance checklist.