accepted definition of furnished?

[whatsthenews]

Hi,
New member here. As I believe there's no legal definition of "furnished", would people offer their opinions as to what they consider the minimum items for a furnished letting? Is there a doifference between "furnished" and "fully furnished"?
If it makes any difference I'm in the NE. Our only experience has been of 2 houses that we rented in the past.
One was unfurnished and didn't even have white goods. It did have window coverings.
The other was furnished and had everything including utensils, pots, pans, utensils, vacum cleaner etc etc.
Thanks in advance

[AndrewDod]

Since there is no definition, it's meaningless.

Furnished could just mean beds and tables and stuff. I tend to have very fully furnished properties with everything (but sometimes I store these these) from linen to dishes, but not many electrical things.

[jpucng62]

The more you put in the more can go missing / get damaged.

I rented to students and put everything in except bedding - including a fully equipped kitchen. The thing that went missing the most was forks! Really irritating as I couldn't match the set!

I would put in as little as you can get away with - people don't always look after other people's property as they would their own. Whatever you decide on you will need a really thorough inventory.

[Section20z]

It's very clearly defined. It is what is in the property when you view and subsequently agree with landlord on inventory.
For a new let I buy very little as tenants will often come with some of their own furniture and I don't want to have to remove items. I will then provide anything that tenants request.

[Interlaken]

In London white goods are expected as standard in what I would call an 'unfurnished flat'. - I provide under-counter fridge, freezer and a washer/drier though in future the demand for large fridges may cause me to change this to no fridge. I do provide blinds/curtains in all my lets.

[Berlingogirl]

I don't provide anything; no white goods, curtains or light shades (except in my HMOs where the forks go missing! I think the tenants get a take away and throw the forks away with the wrapping rather than be bothered to wash them and sometimes the plates go in the bin too) , but I do provide curtain poles and carpets. I'm even considering not supplying carpets as per social housing, and dropping the rent to reflect his. I'm sick of my stuff getting abused or stolen.

[theartfullodger]

HMRC used to have a definition when there was a tax allowance. Quite long, I think it included bedding.

Nowadays it doesn't matter.

[ash72]

I used to offer my properties with beds, cupboards, white goods - now I don't as T's don't want them and costs me to to store them, also they don't look after the items as they would their own. More call outs due to them breaking them. More inventory to go through. Now I just give them an empty property with carpets and freshly painted, as I don't market to professional or students and don't do HMO's.

[scampicat]

I provide curtains and floorcoverings (these were there when I bought the flat), blinds (very kindly left by a former tenant when he went to prison ), and a washer dryer and fridge freezer, plus integrated hob and oven that were in the flat from new.I will not replace blinds or curtains if they get damaged providing there is one or the other at the window (i.e if blind is damaged, I will take it away and just leave curtains). I will replace floorcoverings, white goods and hob/oven and decorate when necessary. I do not specify furnished or unfurnished in the advert, I just list what is provided. HTH

[theartfullodger]

This was what HMRC had.. (past tense)
https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-man...manual/pim3215

• movable furniture or furnishings, such as beds or sofas,
• televisions,
• fridges and freezers,
• carpets and floor-coverings,
• curtains,
• linen,
• crockery or cutlery,
• beds and other furniture.

This list is not intended to be complete

Too much like hard work IMHO

[whatsthenews]

Thanks for all the replies.
I was asking because my son's just rented a flat (his first time apart from furnished student accommodation) which was advertised as furnished.
It has a bed in the bedroom
Sofa and TV unit in the LR
Integral F/F and oven /hob and washing machine in the kitchen
Blinds or curtains at all the windows.
Floor coverings.

He looked at a flat that was newly refurbished and immaculate, but it was a Victorian with large windows and had no blinds or curtains/curtain rails or poles, which surprised me as I'd rather not have tenants making a mess of the walls putting them up , only to leave holes in the walls if they take them when they leave.
It also had no shower curtain or screen with an over the bath shower.

I was just curious as to what people thought satisfied "furnished" but from the replies it obviously varies hugely. We're considering buying a property to let.

[MdeB]

My view:

• Unfurnished: An empty property. Tenant to supply everything that is needed to use/live in the property. May include some contents if LL deems it appropriate (When started I was advised by agents to provide "the 3 Cs": Carpets, Cooker, Curtains).
• Part-Furnished: Tenant does not need to provide items of furniture to live there. Adequate beds, wardrobes, chests of drawers, tables, chairs, settees. LL may provide white goods and electronic items. Tenant to supply bed linens, towels, crockery, cutlery, cooking vessels and utensils, food-preparation utensils..
• Fully-Furnished: T does not need to provide anything to live there. LLs may provide extras depending on their market, such as TVs, sound systems, kitchen gadgets, pictures on walls.

[Berlingogirl]

I think I need to add "subunfurnished" I don't supply curtains or a cooker.

[MdeB]

I think I need to add "subunfurnished" I don't supply curtains or a cooker.

That comes under "May include some contents if LL deems it appropriate". And I have had tenants not wanting a cooker.
Curtains are difficult to take to another property because lengths and widths are likely to differ, so I can understand tenants waning them provided.

[whatsthenews]

MdeB,

so the "furnished" ad' description for his flat doesn't even meet this "part furnished" criteria as there's literally just a sofa and TV unit in the LR. No table and chair(s) , not even a side table (presumably the table and chairs requirement is so someone has somewhere to sit and eat, so IF the property had a breakfast bar/island and stools that would suffice?
Latest is that the property has UFH with a large hot water tank (no gas in the building) and he was told it had an Eco 7 meter, but that doesn't seem to be the case according to the supplier, although there is an ECO 7 Timer for the water heater.
Thanks everyone.