Renting with your own furniture

lilmissprincess

Unfurnished

intheclouds wrote: »

Unfurnished also makes sense for families. They might want a cot and later a childs bed - kids have different needs as they grow.

We've moved our toddler into a King Sized bed because it's what came with the apartment (and we couldn't fit a cot into the room with it - so we made the move when he was 19 months old). Something tells me moving him into a smaller one in any future dwelling won't go down well with the child who manages to take up the entire bed when he decides to... We've bought bits and pieces for our apartment, mainly storage furniture, but aside from that it was fully furnished.

intheclouds

Unfurnished

L1011 wrote: »

Theres a list of appliances that must be supplied by law, whether rented unfurnished or not. Fridge is on that.

Ah I know that - Im more speaking hypothetically than anything.

Sad Professor

Don't mind

L'Enfer du Nord wrote: »

I think this aspect of Irish rental culture may in fact go back to 1915 rent control legislation. Rent control didn't apply to furnished properties, so land lord had an interest in furnishing properties to avoid rent control. I could be mistaken of course.

This article refers to England and Wales but when introduced in 1915 would have applied in Ireland:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_rent_control_in_England_and_Wales#Furnished_tenancies

Makes sense. I was reading up on rent history a while ago and first generation rent control measures basically destroyed long-term renting in Ireland. Unfurnished houses once accounted for something like half of all private rented accommodation in Ireland but fell to practically nothing by the '70s. All that survived was furnished, unregulated dwellings of poor standard that didn't fall under rent control. It solidified renting as a short-term option only. The fact that, as many people have noted, unfurnished houses are mostly found at the higher end of today's market might be traced to the 1960s rent restrictions act, which excluded higher-end houses from rent control before the whole thing got struck down in '81. By that stage, homeownership was so high and growing higher I guess there was no reason to address long-term renting.

It should be noted though that the aforementioned rent control measures used here and in New York post-WW1 bare no resemblance to the form of rent regulation used in Europe today. Modern rent regulation offers many benefits to landlords. The biggest one being that it encourages tenants to rent for longer. And provide and replace their own furniture.

FrStone

Partially furnished (kitchen appliances etc)

Elliott S wrote: »

I haven't found that at all, I find boards.ie reflects real life most of the time. You just seem think everyone agrees with you on everything.

Ah here, don't be ridiculous! Any poll don't on boards.ie before a general election has sinn fein coming out with an overall majority.

jester77

Don't mind

FrStone wrote: »

Ah here, don't be ridiculous! Any poll don't on boards.ie before a general election has sinn fein coming out with an overall majority.

So you are saying that Sinn Fein supporters prefer unfurnished rentals :pac:

It wasnt me123

Don't mind

I thought having a property furnished/partly furnished was to do with squatters rights. Basically, if the landlord had items of furniture, etc in the property, any incoming freeloaders couldn't claim squatters rights; as opposed to going into an empty property (whether its forced entry or not) where they could possibly claim squatters rights.


** I'm sure I read that somewhere, I don't normally play make believe!

Elliott S

Partially furnished (kitchen appliances etc)

FrStone wrote: »

Ah here, don't be ridiculous! Any poll don't on boards.ie before a general election has sinn fein coming out with an overall majority.

I reckon a lot people choose Sinn Fein in polls for the craic.

There's a slight leaning toward the left-wing on boards, other than that, we are all living, breathing Irish people. And there's a large usership, or used to be.

FrStone

Partially furnished (kitchen appliances etc)

Elliott S wrote: »

I reckon a lot people choose Sinn Fein in polls for the craic.

There's a slight leaning toward the left-wing on boards, other than that, we are all living, breathing Irish people. And there's a large usership, or used to be.

Yeah, but it's generally quite a younger demographic, who are likely to have access to the internet.

Faith

Don't mind

purplecow1977 wrote: »

I'm 30 years of ages and wondering who are all these people who have all their own furniture?!?!

I'm 29 and two years ago I moved into an unfurnished place in Canada. Bought all my own furniture, and I'll always prefer to rent unfurnished in the future. Have to sell it all now, as I'm moving countries again, and that is a balls. But I'm really excited about rebuying new furniture when I move to the next place. I'll be buying some furniture with an eye to having them long-term, and other bits will be just cheap IKEA things.

The place I lived before, in Ireland, had the worst furniture. The bed caused us both serious pain and the couches were these black pleather things. Ugh, everything in there was so clearly shît that the landlord either had in his own home in the 80s, or he got them at some bargain basement price 10 years ago specifically for renting. Never again!

purplecow1977

Partially furnished (kitchen appliances etc)

Faith wrote: »

I'm 29 and two years ago I moved into an unfurnished place in Canada. Bought all my own furniture, and I'll always prefer to rent unfurnished in the future. Have to sell it all now, as I'm moving countries again, and that is a balls. But I'm really excited about rebuying new furniture when I move to the next place. I'll be buying some furniture with an eye to having them long-term, and other bits will be just cheap IKEA things.

The place I lived before, in Ireland, had the worst furniture. The bed caused us both serious pain and the couches were these black pleather things. Ugh, everything in there was so clearly shît that the landlord either had in his own home in the 80s, or he got them at some bargain basement price 10 years ago specifically for renting. Never again!

That's fine, but I personally would HATE the thought of buying and selling furniture, in order to do the same thing again!

I think once in a lifetime is enough FOR ME to agonize over shelves, presses, couches, beds etc!

I think if I rented somewhere where I found the bed that uncomfortable, I would buy my own. Then again, I can fall asleep just about anywhere so maybe not the best example to give!

Mrs OBumble

Unfurnished

Valentina Rich Cargo wrote: »

I agree I'm 31 and a bed side locker is the only piece of furnature I've bought. I haven't even bough douvets etc, just brought them from home. I've 3 tv's though, have to have the priorities right! :pac:

I got my first second hand desk from my 2nd wage packet when I was 16. By 25, I'd acquired all the basics to furnish a kitchen, living room and bedroom. Not flash stuff, but enough to start with.

Maturation.

Mrs OBumble

Partially furnished (kitchen appliances etc)

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I got my first second hand desk from my 2nd wage packet when I was 16. By 25, I'd acquired all the basics to furnish a kitchen, living room and bedroom. Not flash stuff, but enough to start with.

Maturation.

I've had no need to buy anything, nothing to do with maturation :rolleyes:

As I said when I buy a house that's when I will buy furnature, beds, kitchen stuff etc and proper highly quality stuff too. No need to waste money on it when LLs provide it all and my bedroom at home has always had everything it needs, infact it's just been done up lately with new everything from top to bottom, really high quality and nothing done without my input.

Renting furnished is a function of Irelands 'transient' and short term letting mentality.

A landlord should want a solid long term tenant and the way to get this is to offer unfurnished properties. It suits the tenant and from the landlords side there will be fewer repairs and maintenance and general hassle. Everybody gains!

Valentina Rich Cargo

Partially furnished (kitchen appliances etc)

Valentina Rich Cargo wrote: »

...........LLs provide it all and my bedroom at home has always had everything it needs, infact it's just been done up lately with new everything from top to bottom, really high quality and nothing done without my input.

What sort of "new everything from top to bottom, really high quality" did the LL put into your room out of curiosity?

Augeo

Partially furnished (kitchen appliances etc)

Augeo wrote: »

What sort of "new everything from top to bottom, really high quality" did the LL put into your room out of curiosity?

My room in the home house I was talking about there not where I rent.

Sad Professor

Don't mind

Valentina Rich Cargo wrote: »

My room in the home house I was talking about there not where I rent.

You mean your parents' house?

Valentina Rich Cargo

Partially furnished (kitchen appliances etc)

Valentina Rich Cargo wrote: »

My room in the home house I was talking about there not where I rent.

What does that have to do with anything?

Did you pay for all this high end stuff? (I'm fairly sure I know the answer).... you sound like a 9 year old with new superman wall paper

Silverbling

Don't mind

L1011 wrote: »

Most landlords have not got the space to move their furniture to; although if you get someone with multiple properties they may be more receptive to it.

Unfurnished is nearly unheard of here due to the required appliances list, basically - nobody seems to want to offer somewhere with those and no other furniture.

with the way things are going with rent and long term tenants, all my furniture is in storage, I would love an unfurnished house or apartment, including curtains, cushions and everything else that makes a house a home

Augeo

Partially furnished (kitchen appliances etc)

Augeo wrote: »

What does that have to do with anything?

Did you pay for all this high end stuff? (I'm fairly sure I know the answer).... you sound like a 9 year old with new superman wall paper

I was replying to a poster who said they were buying furnature since they were 16. I said I've never needed to buy furnature as its either been provided at home or by LL and that I had no interest in buying it for a place in renting. I will be buying enough stuff when I buy a house.

Malari

Unfurnished

There was definitely a time when furnished lettings suited me, when I was moving around or quite young. Then we had a very long term rental which started off furnished with crap furniture but as it broke or wore out we gradually replaced things ourselves, as the landlord just refused to or tried to give us really crappy stuff from another place. When we bought a house we had pretty much all the furniture we needed.

Being a landlord too, it seems that most tenants want furnished but we have high quality stuff in them. I think it attracts a tenant who appreciates that and will take care of the furniture and house. Also it means they are longer lasting so don't need to be replaced as often.

John_Rambo

Don't mind

Valentina Rich Cargo wrote: »

On the contrary when I buy I look forward to knitting out the place with high quality furnature etc that's a perfect fit for the place not stuff that has to be shoehorned in because I had to drag it around various differently sized rental properties.

Also a lot of houses are being sold including all kitchen appliances and a lot include some or all furnature also so in many cases you can gradually get your own new stuff not have to buy it all from the start.

As for if I was a LL how would I want to do it, fully furnished with middle of the road stuff and rent the rooms seperately would be my preferred way of managing a let property.



I agree I'm 31 and a bed side locker is the only piece of furnature I've bought. I haven't even bough douvets etc, just brought them from home. I've 3 tv's though, have to have the priorities right! :pac:

Sure you'd be just making life expensive and difficult for yourself and the renters. An overbearing landlord micro managing the house room by room will end up with a fractious relationship with the renters.

Better off stripping the house spotless. Bare floors and freshly painted white walls, new kitchen, high quality, durable white goods, serviced boiler etc... Let the renters furnish it. They'll look after the house better if they furnish it and you'll get a better quality of renter in an unfurnished house. You won't have to see them for a long time, no checking up on the house, you can just get on with your life while the rent money arrives in to your bank account.

Renters happy, landlords happy. Believe me, I've done it both ways. Your way is by far the worst way to do it.

Sad Professor

Don't mind

John_Rambo, is your property or properties at the high-end of the market? Also do you think your approach to letting differs from other landlords and may help account for your success with unfurnished properties? For example, since you have long-term tenants who aren't bothering you, are you less keen to increase the rent? Also would it be fair to say that it takes it bit longer to find a new tenant when unfurnished?

John_Rambo

Partially furnished (kitchen appliances etc)

John_Rambo wrote: »

Sure you'd be just making life expensive and difficult for yourself and the renters. An overbearing landlord micro managing the house room by room will end up with a fractious relationship with the renters.

Not expensive at all, kit it out cheaply and rent to young professionals, less risk of people over holding without paying rent. Even if one doesn't pay in a 3 bed you still get 2/3 of the rent. People tend to only stay for shorter time a year or two so people don't see it as home so again less likely to have someone digging their heels in and not paying rent etc like you see threads on here everyday.

Also you can charge a bit more for rooms than for a house overall. I'd want to be inspecting too every few months.

I've lived exclusively in places where rooms are let seperately and I prefer it than having a lease on a place and can see it as being the way I'd let a place also. The only difference is my LL just let the places run themselves completely, never inspecting, never getting involved in new housemates etc where as I would be much more hands on (but not being a nuisance either). As a renter or a LL id have no interest whatsoever in unfurnished.

Elliott S

Partially furnished (kitchen appliances etc)

John_Rambo wrote: »

Sure you'd be just making life expensive and difficult for yourself and the renters. An overbearing landlord micro managing the house room by room will end up with a fractious relationship with the renters.

It's to keep the renters as licensees apparently, ignoring the fact that the landlord has to be ordinarily resident for that to work.

John_Rambo

Don't mind

Sad Professor wrote: »

John_Rambo, is your property or properties at the high-end of the market? Also do you think your approach to letting differs from other landlords and may help account for your success with unfurnished properties? For example, since you have long-term tenants who aren't bothering you, are you less keen to increase the rent? Also would it be fair to say that it takes it bit longer to find a new tenant when unfurnished?

Close to the IFS in Dublin Sad Professor. And yes, my "clean empty house" with high end white goods worked very well for me. Non-Irish professionals decorated and furnished the house themselves and treated it like a home. Not a stop gap. My last tenants bought the house in 2006 the offer was simply too much, they outbidded all other offers. And, yes, having long term tenants that didn't bother me made me less keen to ramp up the rent. The area around the IFSC was easy to rent out. Never had a problem.

Valentina Rich Cargo wrote: »

Not expensive at all, kit it out cheaply and rent to young professionals, less risk of people over holding without paying rent. Even if one doesn't pay in a 3 bed you still get 2/3 of the rent. People tend to only stay for shorter time a year or two so people don't see it as home so again less likely to have someone digging their heels in and not paying rent etc like you see threads on here everyday.

Also you can charge a bit more for rooms than for a house overall. I'd want to be inspecting too every few months.

I've lived exclusively in places where rooms are let seperately and I prefer it than having a lease on a place and can see it as being the way I'd let a place also. The only difference is my LL just let the places run themselves completely, never inspecting, never getting involved in new housemates etc where as I would be much more hands on (but not being a nuisance either). As a renter or a LL id have no interest whatsoever in unfurnished.

I promise you, buying furniture is more expensive than not buying furniture.

Every time.

You're approach is messy, amateurish, intrusive and you'll end up in a fractious relationship with your tenants. They'll be short term, and believe me, that is a real pain when it comes to the logistics, bills, post etc... You'll lose a fortune with vacant weeks in between occupancy.

The pittance extra you will charge per room not only won't be worth the hassle, but it won't even cover the cheap, nasty furniture that your tenants will hate and won't mind properly.

John_Rambo

Partially furnished (kitchen appliances etc)

John_Rambo wrote: »

I promise you, buying furniture is more expensive than not buying furniture.

Every time.

You're approach is messy, amateurish, intrusive and you'll end up in a fractious relationship with your tenants. They'll be short term, and believe me, that is a real pain when it comes to the logistics, bills, post etc... You'll lose a fortune with vacant weeks in between occupancy.

The pittance extra you will charge per room not only won't be worth the hassle, but it won't even cover the cheap, nasty furniture that your tenants will hate and won't mind properly.

I basically completely disagree and think renting rooms seperately to people who don't know each other in a cheaply furnished property is the way I'd want to do it simple as that.

Elliott S wrote: »

It's to keep the renters as licensees apparently, ignoring the fact that the landlord has to be ordinarily resident for that to work.

Still very much an open question....it's all about exclusive use and room only renters don't have exclusive use of the property....

John_Rambo

Don't mind

Valentina Rich Cargo wrote: »

I basically completely disagree and think renting rooms seperately to people who don't know each other in a cheaply furnished property is the way I'd want to do it simple as that.

Absolutely, you can do exactly what you want with your imaginary property and it's cheap imaginary furniture. As long as you have the inclination, the time, the coping with the hassle, phonecalls, bickering and the extra money involved. Treat it like a hobby!

I on the other hand had my own job to do along with an active sports and social life. I didn't have time to be dealing with month to month issues on an awkward letting. Professional approach, professional people. The upkeep between lets? Floor sander hire, varnish and white paint. Ready to go again.

John_Rambo

Partially furnished (kitchen appliances etc)

John_Rambo wrote: »

Absolutely, you can do exactly what you want with your imaginary property and it's cheap imaginary furniture. As long as you have the inclination, the time, the coping with the hassle, phonecalls, bickering and the extra money involved. Treat it like a hobby!

I on the other hand had my own job to do along with an active sports and social life. I didn't have time to be dealing with month to month issues on an awkward letting. Professional approach, professional people. The upkeep between lets? Floor sander hire, varnish and white paint. Ready to go again.

What hassle, I'm over 7 years living this these exact type of setups and it's absolutely zero hassle. we have contacted the LL once this year, it involved him organising an handy man over the phone to call. What bickering? Housemates issue is nothing to do with the LL, never would a LL have ever been involved in any disagreement between housemates and they are extremely rare anyway as one will just move out rather than be involved in hassle. What extra expense? You had to charge less per month to rent an unfurnished place as no one is going to pay the same rent for a shell as for a fully furnished place next door so the extra rent covers furnishing it.

I would want to be more involved than my LLs have as I said, I want to be inspecting about every 3 months to keep a close eye on my property but I woundn't see this as hassle. Also you mention between lets, there is no between lets with seperate room letting. One person move out another in, you will have a turn over of peope over the course of a few years but you are just replacing one at a time. I'd operate a one months notice setup same as my LL have rather than giving leases etc and once you get the months notice you can easily like up another person to move straight in so no down time, even if you have a few vacant days it's only a few days missing 1/3 of the rent (in my example Of a 3 bed). On top of this there is the open question still that the people may be licences in the above situation meaning you have much more control over your property.

Look you are entitled to rent as you please but I don't believe your way is the best way as you think it is.

John_Rambo

Don't mind

Valentina Rich Cargo wrote: »

Look you are entitled to rent as you please but I don't believe your way is the best way as you think it is.

Having done it both ways I've found my way to be the best way.

Valentina Rich Cargo

Don't mind

Valentina Rich Cargo wrote: »

You had to charge less per month to rent an unfurnished place as no one is going to pay the same rent for a shell as for a fully furnished place next door so the extra rent covers furnishing it.

I would want to be more involved than my LLs have as I said, I want to be inspecting about every 3 months to keep a close eye on my property but I woundn't see this as hassle.

You are so wrong! I have been looking for an unfurnished property for months, they are all extremely MORE expensive then furnished houses. I presume because they are looking for a long term renter.

I don't know too many people that would be happy with a landlord inspection every 3 months! Once a year is enough for most adults.