Unfurnished
An unfurnished property is a rental let provided without furniture, although it usually still includes flooring, curtains or blinds, fitted kitchen units and the bathroom suite, and often white goods such as a cooker and fridge freezer. Unfurnished does not mean empty. There is no statutory definition of "unfurnished" in the UK, so what is included is set by the tenancy agreement and the inventory rather than by law.
What a landlord should provide in an unfurnished property
Because the term is defined by custom rather than statute, expectations vary by region, but an unfurnished property is rarely a bare shell. Tenants generally expect carpets or flooring, window coverings, working kitchen units and a bathroom suite, along with any built-in or fitted furniture. Many landlords, particularly in London, also provide white goods such as a cooker, fridge freezer and washing machine, since these are expensive and impractical for tenants to move. The safest approach is to state exactly what is and is not included, item by item, in the inventory.
Tax, deposits and wear for unfurnished lets
Letting unfurnished does not remove a landlord's tax reliefs. Even where the landlord supplies only white goods and flooring, Replacement of Domestic Items relief allows the cost of replacing those items, on a like-for-like basis, to be claimed against rental income. Landlords using August consistently tell us that the cleanest claims come from keeping the inventory and the receipts behind each replacement in one place.
Unfurnished lets also tend to carry lower deposit risk and lighter ongoing maintenance, because there are fewer landlord-owned items that can be damaged or that need repairing during the tenancy. Where a property stands empty between tenancies, any council tax discount on an unfurnished void is at the local authority's discretion rather than guaranteed.
Frequently asked questions
Does an unfurnished property have to be completely empty?
No. An unfurnished property usually still includes flooring, curtains or blinds, fitted kitchen units and the bathroom suite, and many landlords also provide white goods. The absence of free-standing furniture, not a bare interior, is what defines it.
What is the difference between unfurnished and part-furnished?
An unfurnished property provides no free-standing furniture, while a part-furnished property adds some items such as white goods and a few larger pieces. A fully furnished property includes everything a tenant needs to move in.
For the full comparison of which suits your property and tenant, see our guide to letting furnished, part-furnished or unfurnished, and keep your inventory and what-is-included records in one place with August's document storage.
