Furnished flat without much furniture

busymover1010

I moved into a new 'furnished' flat last weekend. On arrival, I was surprised that a lot of the furniture I saw when I viewed the flat was gone. More specifically, I was missing the following:

- A bed
- A wardrobe in my bedroom
- A bedside cabinet
- Any kind of bedroom furniture

I did have the following:
- A wardrobe in a door-seperated hallway
- A leather sofa (NOT a sofabed!) in a living room area
- A small glass coffee table in a living room area
- A small dinner table in a living room area

My flat is one very large room, and naturally separates into a 'living room area' and a 'bedroom area'

After a few days, I was informed I would be delivered a bed, and I now have a bed. However, I do not have any other kind of 'bedroom' furniture.

My question is: Are there any grounds I can demand a bedroom wardrobe / bedside cabinet / shelves? I have none of these, and it feels like the landlord is stretching the definition of furnished here.

I'm new to renting, so am just trying to find out where I stand - if this is par for the course then I will get to buy some shiny new things, at least.

[Deleted User]

I'm not sure there's a legal definition of furnished, so ideally you'd want the actual furnishings included with the rental to be written down in the contract or the advert. Were they? If so, you can ask to be supplied with the furniture asap.

If you viewed the flat with the previous tenant still living there, the furniture could have been a mixture of the landlord's and tenants. So I'm not sure you can infer that everything you saw was going to be provided by the landlord. If there's nothing written down, as a first step ask politely for the things you need/would like.

busymover1010

Thanks - the furniture wasn't specified in the agreement sadly. I have asked and the landlord has refused, looks like I might not be willing this one!

Thanks for your help.

[Deleted User]

That's a pain! If you want it cheaply, try charity shops, freecycle, and your local facebook group for second hand furniture. Sounds like you only need a bedside cabinet, bookcase and a chest of drawers, people chuck that sort of stuff out all the time.

nkkingston

Most furnished flats are pretty basic - bed, sofa, white goods, possibly some storage. Everything else tends to be the tenant's own. Willing to bet at least one of the coffee tables belonged to the previous tenant and they've just left it. We had to shift some lovely DIY furniture when we moved in to our current place - chest of drawers with no handles, a kitchen table top nailed to a bedside table, a dresser that conveniently took itself apart when we touched it...

I am curious about what happened to the bed, though. Did the previous tenant pinch it? Was it in such poor nick the landlord took it away to be replaced, but didn't organise a new one until after you moved in? Pretty poor not to have told you the bed wouldn't be there when you moved in!

LEJC

pinched this not exhaustible definition from property hawk

For those landlords seeking official clarification on the issue; one definition that might be helpful is the HMRC definition of what constitutes a furnished property:

"To be classed as furnished the property must comply with the Stamp Office definition of "furnished" which is in accordance with that used by other departments of the Inland Revenue, meaning that the tenant can move into the property without having to take with him any furniture at all. The property should therefore contain as a minimum such items as a sofa, one or more beds, plus a dining table and chairs, a cooker, carpets, curtains and other white goods in the kitchen. If the property only contains curtains, carpets and white goods in the kitchen this would not be classed as a furnished property."

[Deleted User]

Thanks for the info LEJC. It's not clear to me that the definition of 'furnished' for HMRC purposes (i.e. claiming 10% of the rent as maintainance for tax relief) is necessarily the same promise as 'furnished' for advertising purposes. Not to say you're wrong, just that I'm not clear on this.

In any case, it might be argued by the landlord that a bed, sofa, and inconveniently sited wardrobe, are fulfilling the HMRC requirements.

LEJC

Cherry_Gale wrote: »

In any case, it might be argued by the landlord that a bed, sofa, and inconveniently sited wardrobe, are fulfilling the requirements.

That was my thought too!.....and probably the OP has been supplied with a bare minimum.

frugalsmurf

Did they specify when you viewed what would be included?
Was someone living there?

Of it was without people living there and you saw the furniture, then I'd say you're right to be unimpressed by the lack of furniture

But if there were tennants then it's possible they had their own bits which you saw.

I agree that it sounds sparse but usually when I've seen furnished places it's an eclectic mix of stuff you wouldn't want.

Wardrobe rails are inexpensive or as someone said charity shop or freecycle.

HamburgerHilll

I guess it will all depend on what's in the rental agreement/inventory?

If this is the first time you've rented I would advise taking careful note of everything in the inventory and where possible take photographs and highlight any discrepancies asap - it may not seem important now but it's crucial when you get to the end of your tenancy and deposits are at stake.