Unfurnished

Mad_maxx · 07-07-2019 10:11pm #1

Is letting a house unfurnished a valid option in this country, are you more or less likely to attract reliable tenants

Obviously would command a lower rent rate

s7ryf3925pivug · 07-07-2019 10:17pm

I would have greatly preferred unfurnished lettings when I was renting and was into my 30s.

**** being stuck with furniture you don't want, and not having space for your own stuff. Either have to persuade landlord to remove it, put it in storage, or just replace it outright.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i · 07-07-2019 10:20pm

I always searched for unfurnished dwellings, but found it next to impossible in Ireland. I want to live in a home. The taste most landlords have is questionable, and wtf is with those bloody box bed things with the 1970s material covering them, awful altogether.

John_Rambo · 07-07-2019 10:32pm

I've done it twice against all advice and the properties were maintained better than when I left them furnished.
I stripped them bare and had them painted white, sanded the wood floors and varnished them. They attracted longer term, high paying tenants that considered their rental their homes. Nothing got wrecked (nothing to wreck) and any damage would have damaged their own furniture.

You may have a few online "experts" telling you not to do this, but that's my experience of letting with/without furnishings.

*renting to professionals.

Mad_maxx · 07-07-2019 10:43pm

What kind of discount would be reasonable to reflect an unfurnished choice

20%?

As unfurnished is a real novelty in this country, would a lease be a must so as to underline the fact that the landlord would not be responsible for broken furniture

Also, I presume unfurnished still requires the landlord to provide washing machine, fridge, microwave etc?

antoinolachtnai · 07-07-2019 11:02pm

Yes, you still have to comply with the regulations. A discount of 20 percent? If you think so. But I think less. It's really about what the market will bear.

The problem with renting unfurnished is that it will take a longer time to get it rented. There are unfurnished-seeking tenants out there, but there are a lot fewer of them than tenants looking for furnished property.

It depends on your property too. I would say that a property in Dublin 4, 6 or 8 would rent unfurnished (I have done this myself some time ago). But less premium spots, it'll be harder to get them rented unfurnished.

The delay is the problem. A property should be rented in between 10 and 20 days in the current market. With furnished I would expect the time to be double that, maybe more depending on the area. That's a month's rent lost.

[Deleted User] · 07-07-2019 11:06pm

I don't think for a second it would take longer to rent an unfurnished place.
I wish I could have found unfurnished when I was looking.
Most of the unfurnished places I saw were very high standard, high rent homes, out of reach for me unfortunately.

Dav010 · 07-07-2019 11:15pm

Zero discount in RPZ, a 20% discount would take years to get back up to level of furnished let, which is the most common type.i don’t think RTA distinguishes between the two.

wildwillow · 07-07-2019 11:18pm

I always let unfurnished. New carpets and paint as necessary. Usual electric appliances, repaired or replaced quickly when a problem arises. Ironing board and chopping boards to protect my worktops. Have had tenants for long periods, up to twelve years. Seem to take more care when it’s their own furniture.

Mad_maxx · 07-07-2019 11:23pm

Location is in the Galway city commuter belt, four bed house built in 2005

iwillhtfu · 07-07-2019 11:28pm

I've a house I let unfurnished and the current tenants couldn't believe it when they found out it was unfurnished as it's so rare to come across one, I let it at market rate and it wasn't long going. If I were you I'd do the same forget he discount if you find those viewing are looking for a furnished house then reduce accordingly.

K.Flyer · 07-07-2019 11:30pm

There are now a lot more properties, particularly houses, being advertised un-furnished.
For a Landlord it should be a no-brainer, nothing to break or damage equals less risk.

Mad_maxx · 07-07-2019 11:47pm

My instinct is that broke deadbeats wouldn't go near an unfurnished property?

m5ex9oqjawdg2i · 08-07-2019 12:22am

Mad_maxx wrote: »

What kind of discount would be reasonable to reflect an unfurnished choice

20%?

As unfurnished is a real novelty in this country, would a lease be a must so as to underline the fact that the landlord would not be responsible for broken furniture

Also, I presume unfurnished still requires the landlord to provide washing machine, fridge, microwave etc?

I wouldn't give any discount. Rent is based on the house size, location, local amenities and market rate, not on the quality or number of furnishings. That's what I would have always thought anyway.

Cookie_Monster · 08-07-2019 1:40am

You can't let unfurnished in Irl as such, the law doesn't allow for it. Have to provide fridge, freezer, microwave, washer and dryer etc.

It would be great to shift the entire market to that setup, allow tenants to build up their own furniture as the move about, less to be broken from the LL POV

K.Flyer · 08-07-2019 1:49am

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

You can't let unfurnished in Irl as such, the law doesn't allow for it. Have to provide fridge, freezer, microwave, washer and dryer etc.

Any of the unfurnished properties I have seen will have those items, but they are not strictly speaking furnishings.
Unfurnished means the house with the statutory appliances and thats it.
What you sit on or sleep on, etc etc is the tenant's own lookout after that.

Forthebuzz · 08-07-2019 7:20am

I have been renting an unfurnished 4 bed in the Galway city commuter belt for the last two years. It was rented at market rate and we were given the option of the landlord buying anything we needed so I just requested a couch and chairs for sitting room.

I hadn't specifically been looking for an unfurnished house but really happy with it as after renting for ten years and having two kids I had amassed a good amount of my own stuff. Now I don't have to try squeeze it in around someone else's furniture

Mad_maxx · 08-07-2019 8:28am

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

You can't let unfurnished in Irl as such, the law doesn't allow for it. Have to provide fridge, freezer, microwave, washer and dryer etc.

It would be great to shift the entire market to that setup, allow tenants to build up their own furniture as the move about, less to be broken from the LL POV

I would be intending to supply kitchen appliances

Fol20 · 08-07-2019 9:59am

There’s a reason why most ll do furnished. It’s not because they want to but because it’s the norm and what 95pc of tenants expect. If our culture around this changed it would be better however this is what we have to live with.

Ray Palmer · 08-07-2019 12:58pm

Mad_maxx wrote: »

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

You can't let unfurnished in Irl as such, the law doesn't allow for it. Have to provide fridge, freezer, microwave, washer and dryer etc.

It would be great to shift the entire market to that setup, allow tenants to build up their own furniture as the move about, less to be broken from the LL POV

I would be intending to supply kitchen appliances

You can't rent a place without them in Ireland.

Mad_maxx · 08-07-2019 1:01pm

Ray Palmer wrote: »

You can't rent a place without them in Ireland.

I know that, I was proposing to let however without beds, kitchen table etc

pwurple · 08-07-2019 1:57pm

What's the discount for here?

I have two units rented unfurnished, they have higher rent than the furnished ones. Mainly because the turnover is faster, and I need to repaint and maintain more frequently. People tend to only spend between 1 to 4 years there. You should command a higher rent for those than furnished, its more churn.

The properties I rent unfurnished are for professionals who are relocating for work with their families usually, or moved out while their house is having some construction work done. They want to rent short/medium term, be comfortable with their own furniture, and not have to store their belongings.

I put in very good quality appliances, the kitchen is high end, and the flooring , paintwork, windows, plumbing, heating etc are up to scratch.

theteal · 08-07-2019 2:06pm

I would assume that now long term/ lifetime renting is becoming the norm in Ireland, unfurnished will be a lot more common. I’m struggling to remember seeing any furnished places when we rented here in the UK, wouldn’t have been for us anyway. Not sure why there’d be any discount in rental price, who’d want smelly old crying chairs in their house????

TheBoyConor · 08-07-2019 2:51pm

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

You can't let unfurnished in Irl as such, the law doesn't allow for it. Have to provide fridge, freezer, microwave, washer and dryer etc.

It would be great to shift the entire market to that setup, allow tenants to build up their own furniture as the move about, less to be broken from the LL POV

That would be a headache for LLs in my opinion. You'd be lining yourself up for "oh we will move out but can we leave our stuff in the house for a week until our new place is ready?" Then one week becomes six or some other crap like that.

pwurple · 08-07-2019 3:13pm

TheBoyConor wrote: »

That would be a headache for LLs in my opinion. You'd be lining yourself up for "oh we will move out but can we leave our stuff in the house for a week until our new place is ready?" Then one week becomes six or some other crap like that.

Easily solved. Bill 'em.

[Deleted User] · 08-07-2019 4:23pm

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

It would be great to shift the entire market to that setup, allow tenants to build up their own furniture as the move about, less to be broken from the LL POV

How many people actually want to buy stuff for a rental though, very very few I would imagine? It's costly, it's a nuisance buying it, setting it up and moving it when moving and as most people see renting as a temporary thing when they buy their own place they will likely want to buy furniture which best suits the house rather than the stop gap stuff they used in rentals. Even people who own a house, sell it and buy another house usually leave the furniture and buy new stuff best suited for the new place.

While you see some people posting here who want to rent unfurnished I would think that in general its a very small percentage of people who want to do it.

LirW · 08-07-2019 4:52pm

Michelle Silly Bat wrote: »

How many people actually want to buy stuff for a rental though, very very few I would imagine? It's costly, it's a nuisance buying it, setting it up and moving it when moving and as most people see renting as a temporary thing when they buy their own place they will likely want to buy furniture which best suits the house rather than the stop gap stuff they used in rentals. Even people who own a house, sell it and buy another house usually leave the furniture and buy new stuff best suited for the new place.

While you see some people posting here who want to rent unfurnished I would think that in general its a very small percentage of people who want to do it.

Long-term renting is becoming the norm in many areas of the country through. Plenty of people I work with would rather rent in the cities than buying further outside. Each to their own.
And no, moving with your own furniture is no big deal. You get a van, spend a few hours loading and unloading it and it's fine.
When I rented I bought the same stuff I'd now buy for my house. I much prefer having my own bed, mattress (I'm a bad sleeper and my mattress is invaluable) and generally making a the place my own.

I understand that for many it's just something you do until you buy but the trend is moving towards long-term rental, that's difficult to deny.

baby and crumble · 08-07-2019 5:01pm

I rented for years and if I was still renting I'd much prefer unfurnished. Even towards the end of my renting tie, I had accumulated a bunch of furniture that i liked (bookshelves, office desk, a nice armchair etc) so it became a bit of hassle fitting it in around the beat-up 'leather' sofas that most rentals come with here.

TBH if you're renting a place unfurnished it will probably attract an older, slightly more settled crowd - ie less students and folks on lower incomes who can't afford to invest in furniture. Since we've gotten IKEA etc here it's becoming much more affordable to furnish a house nicely, though. When I started renting in the early 2000's the stuff in rentals was always crappy.

In all honesty now that I'm in my late 30's I sometimes dread going to friends houses who don't have nice armchairs. My back is in bits by the end of the evening, but that says more about my shoddy health though...

jester77 · 08-07-2019 5:08pm

Michelle Silly Bat wrote: »

How many people actually want to buy stuff for a rental though, very very few I would imagine? It's costly, it's a nuisance buying it, setting it up and moving it when moving and as most people see renting as a temporary thing when they buy their own place they will likely want to buy furniture which best suits the house rather than the stop gap stuff they used in rentals. Even people who own a house, sell it and buy another house usually leave the furniture and buy new stuff best suited for the new place.

While you see some people posting here who want to rent unfurnished I would think that in general its a very small percentage of people who want to do it.

I moved into an unfurnished apartment when I first moved to Germany. Best thing ever. You spend most of your time at home in bed or on your couch. So that is where I invested a lot of my initial money, a super bed and and a very comfortable couch. These have moved to different apartments over the years and when I bought my own house they came along to it.

Plus when I moved into my house I had most of the furniture and kitchen appliances I needed all in my own style.

I never had to deal with cheap uncomfortable furniture in all my years living here.

Samuel T. Cogley · 08-07-2019 6:00pm

Even if you cut out 90% of potential tenants by being unfurnished you'll a) still have loads of potentials and b) might even attract a few people that don't want a furnished place. I would have thought you'd cut out a lot of the less desirable tenants also.

karenalot · 08-07-2019 6:44pm

I have been renting out family properties unfurnished for the past few years. White walls, wooden floors and good quality appliances, the rest is up to the tenants. Never had an issue getting calls. In this market especially around Dublin, it’s quite the opposite.

Some of the stuff Irish landlords put into properties is fairly horrifying. Bargaintown and skip scavenging springs to mind.

Unfurnished

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