subject: Buy to let: furnished or unfurnished? [print this page] Buy to let: furnished or unfurnished?
When it comes to buy-to-let properties, a question investors usually ask themselves is: should I rent the property part furnished or furnished? Letting a property furnished used to be the preferred choice as the law used to provide landlords with better protection if the property was let furnished. Not anymore.
It is common at the moment for letting properties to be offered unfurnished, or "part furnished", as rental properties almost always include fridge, washing machine, attractive bathroom, carpets and curtains. Central London is the exception to the rule where furnished properties are more popular because of the business demand. Another exception is buy-to-let properties targeted towards students. Students usually do not have furniture of their own as they typically rent a property by the room for a short period of time.
For buy-to-let property landlords, this makes life a lot easier. All that is required to get a property ready for new tenants is at most a bit of painting and carpeting work. When it comes to choosing carpets, paint colours and curtains for a buy-to-let property, it is important to pick a fairly neutral style to give tenants the ability to personalise their new home with their own furniture. This neutral look may seem a bit sterile, but it will help to make the property a lot easier to let.
This simplifies things for property landlords when it comes to comply with safety regulations. A furnished property will usually include pillows, cushions, and mattresses. As these soft furnishings are provided with the property, the landlord is responsible for ensuring that they comply with the various safety regulations in place.
You should note that in all cases the landlord is responsible for the safety of gas and electrical installations as well as appliances that come with the property. This needs to be ensured via regular checks and proper record keeping. Needless to say letting properties, like any property, ought to have fire alarms installed.
These regulations are normally quite complex and updated regularly. Professional letting agents are usually well prepared to understand and ensure compliance with these regulations. Often safety compliance is not difficult to attain, but for a new buy-to-let property landlord this is something they must become familiar with from the moment they decide to let a property.
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