What should landlords provide in unfurnished rental properties?

When you’re setting out as a landlord, or even when you’ve been a landlord for a while, it can be difficult to know what you should put in unfurnished rental properties. Some of it is a grey area, depending on personal preference and target market. Others are legal obligations.

Undoubtedly, the more a landlord provides, the higher the start-up costs and running costs when the item wears out or breaks.

However, it’s about getting the balance right so that the property doesn’t end up in a no-man’s-land of “part-furnished”, which is costly, and which might not be what your target renters are looking for. On the other hand, some little touches, like curtain poles and bathroom cabinets, do make settling in easier for renters.

Letting unfurnished is also something that more and more landlords are considering as a result of the implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act. The first reason is to reduce the risk that tenants will want to use the property as a cheap short term let now the Renters’ Rights Act is in force, and tenants can leave at any time with two months’ notice. The second is to reduce the potential cost of damage from pets, particularly cats, due to the new implied right of tenants to have pets.

In this blog post, I’m first going to explain what landlords must put into their unfurnished rented properties by law in England. Then I’ll discuss what landlords often provide, and finally what falls into the “nice to have” category, all while making sure we keep on the “unfurnished” side of the line.

In writing this post, I draw on my experience as both a lawyer and a landlord who lets unfurnished rental properties in Kent.

You’ll find more information on how to succeed as a landlord, in compliance with the Renters’ Rights Act, in my bestselling book, The Good Landlord Handbook.*

What must landlords supply in unfurnished rented properties?

Let’s start with the handful of items that landlords are legally obliged to provide in unfurnished rented properties, beyond the basics like a boiler, heating, toilets and a bath or shower.

I give more detail below on what landlords must provide in all rented homes in England as a matter of law.

1. Smoke alarms and heat detectors

Smoke alarms must be fitted on every floor, and tested every year. For single lets, they can be battery operated, but need to be hard-wired for licensed HMOs.

Landlords must provide at least one smoke alarm on each storey of their properties with living accommodation. For instance, if the cellar or loft is not habitable space, smoke alarms are not necessary.

Do follow the manufacturer’s instructions but, as a rule of thumb, battery operated smoke alarms should be fixed to the ceiling in a circulation space such as a hall or a landing. Electricians can fit the hard-wired alarms, which are usually required in licensed HMOs.

For new build or recently converted flats, Building Regulations (Approved Document B) state that where the kitchen is not separated from the escape route by a door, there must be an interlinked heat alarm in the kitchen as well as the smoke alarm(s) in the hallway/landing.

The London Fire Brigade advises fitting a heat alarm in every kitchen to avoid nuisance tripping from burnt toast and cooking fumes, whilst ensuring there is an early warning of a fire on the hob or oven. However, this is not compulsory.

2. Carbon monoxide alarms

Landlords must provide carbon monoxide alarms in every room where there is a “fixed combustion appliance (excluding gas cookers)”. In practice, this means boilers, wood-burning stoves and other operational fireplaces. They also must be tested every year.

For my properties, I buy carbon monoxide alarms with a battery that lasts 10 years. I make a note of the expiry date in my electronic calendar. For landlords with large portfolios, the dates can be entered in their property management software.

Click here for the government guidance on CO alarms.

3. Light fittings

Light fittings should be safe and in any event the property will need to have received a satisfactory EICR within the previous 5 years.

4. Flooring

The landlord must provide appropriate flooring for renters. Exposed floorboards are acceptable, so long as they are safe to walk on. Leaving underlay and grippers for the tenants to put carpet on top of is not acceptable.

5. Secure doors

The external doors need to be secure and have locks that work properly. It’s good practice to change the locks in between tenants, and definitely after buying a property.

I provide one set of keys per adult, with one spare.

>> Related Post: The Decent Homes Standard for the private rented sector under the Renters’ Rights Act

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Which do most landlords provide in unfurnished rented properties?

The next category is those items that landlords typically provide in unfurnished rented properties, without it being a legal requirement. The exact choice will depend on the type of tenant and what is usual locally.

1. Appliances and white goods: what do landlords usually supply?

If the kitchen is fitted with space for integrated appliances, these should be supplied by the landlord. A tenant shouldn’t have to buy integrated appliances for a fitted kitchen. For free-standing appliances, beyond the cooker and oven/hob, it’s up to the landlord.

Appliances are expensive items and are prone to breakages. The more the landlord provides, the more “emergency calls” for when they break.

Additionally, if the landlord provides freestanding appliances and other “portable” electrical items, it is important to arrange regular safety testing. Having regular portable appliance testing is an easy way of keeping on top of this.

2. Does a landlord have to provide a cooker / oven and hob (and extractor)?

Section 10 Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (an amendment of which came into effect in England in 2019) states that in determining whether a property is fit for human habitation, the court shall have regard to “its condition in respect of […] the facilities for preparation and cooking of food”.

The legislation doesn’t say either way whether the landlord actually needs to provide a cooker or an oven and hob, just that the court must “have regard” to the condition of the facilities. Most landlords do provide a cooker or an oven and hob as standard, myself included.

From a practical point of view, whilst it’s not a legal requirement, it’s wise to supply a vented extractor system in the kitchen as that will reduce condensation and, potentially, mould.

>> Related Post: How should landlords tackle damp and mould

3. Does unfurnished include a fridge or a washing machine?

n England, an unfurnished property doesn’t normally include a fridge or a washing machine.

There’s no legal requirement to provide white goods, and most unfurnished lets come without them. The exception is a kitchen with spaces for integrated appliances, which the landlord should fill rather than expecting the tenant to buy them.

4. Windows: Must landlords supply curtains, blinds, rails or poles?

Landlords are not legally required to provide curtains or blinds for tenants. However, most landlords do provide something to help tenants cover the windows in at least the bedrooms and living room.

It’s common practice for landlords to provide curtain poles, curtain rails, or blinds for the bedrooms and main front room.

Personally, I always provide curtain poles or rails in the bedrooms and front room. I supply curtains if they were already there when I bought the house, so long as they are of the right standard. However, I don’t buy curtains, because of the cost, and also because renters often want curtains to go with their furniture and pictures.

As well as being nice for tenants, it’s a wise decision to provide at least curtain poles or rails, and it prevents tenants from drilling holes to do it themselves, which could lead to wall damage. The photo above is of a curtain pole that I installed for a bay window. It was difficult to put up, and something I’d much rather arrange myself so I’d know it would be done properly.

Take care with blinds, as they need to comply with child safety standards.

5. Bathroom fittings

Landlords often provide bathroom cabinets, (heated) towel rails, hooks and loo roll holders. Again, it avoids the tenant needing to drill items into the walls. These aren’t legal obligations, but they’re a nice touch.

An extractor fan is a different matter. If you are fitting a new bathroom, or converting a property, Part F of the Building Regulations requires extract ventilation to the outside, and an openable window won’t do it. A bathroom with a bath or shower needs 15 litres per second, which is beyond what a window can deliver. If the bathroom has no openable window, the fan also needs a run-on timer that keeps it going for at least 15 minutes after the room is vacated.

Part F isn’t retrospective, so if your bathroom has never had a fan you aren’t obliged to retrofit one.

An extractor is one of the cheapest ways to cut the risk of damp and mould, so it makes sense to fit them.

Which other items do landlords sometimes provide?

There are a number of low cost basic household items that renters will need, and which can be easier and safer for the landlord to supply. Also, they all fall short of falling over the “furnished” line.

As well as the bathroom fittings mentioned above, landlords often provide lamp shades, door mats and a kitchen rubbish bin. These are popular and inexpensive, which landlords can easily replace if need be.

No replacement / repairs white goods clause

Sometimes a landlord may be happy to supply an appliance to the tenant (for instance, if it came with the property when they bought it), but doesn’t wish to be responsible for repairs or replacing it.

In such a case, it is possible to include a clause in the tenancy agreement that makes clear the landlord is not responsible for any repairs or replacements. Here is an example of a clause in one of my tenancy agreements that was inserted by my letting agent:

Final thoughts

Apart from the compulsory items, there is no right and wrong regarding how much further to go. All additional items incur expense, which reduces net profits. On the other hand, they can improve the renter’s experience and give a great first impression. It is a good way to show that their landlord has their interests at heart.

Being a good landlord and looking after renters is good business. And it is about getting the balance right for you and the needs of your target market. For practical advice for every stage of the tenancy, see my book, The Good Landlord Handbook.

If you’d like support in a friendly community where the focus is on the practical, join The Independent Landlord Hub. We take away the smoke and mirrors, and help you understand landlord obligations for the Renters’ Rights Act and beyond.

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