A furnished or unfurnished flat – which to rent?

The flat rental market in Poland remains as popular as ever. Renting is most common among students and people who have recently started their professional careers but cannot yet afford to buy a flat. They have all kinds of units to choose from. Some are fully furnished, others entirely without furniture. Which option is more advantageous?

Who is a furnished flat for?

To begin with, it should be noted that a furnished property can be let far more easily and quickly. More people are interested in this type of flat. We must remember that the most common tenants are young people, students or people who have only just started work. It simply does not pay for them to buy their own furniture yet. They cannot foresee their own future. Students very often change flats, and furniture would only make moving harder for them. It is similar with working people who are mobile and career-minded. Investing in their own furniture is the last thing on their minds, too. They prefer to rent a fully equipped flat that is ready to move into and, if necessary, to pack up all their belongings and move for work even to another city. The fewer possessions of their own they have, the better.

Who is an unfurnished flat for?

On the other hand, demand for renting flats without furniture is growing. Such properties are targeted by somewhat wealthier people with a settled life situation. These are often families with children. Such tenants look not only at whether there is somewhere to sleep and somewhere to put their clothes. Their own comfort and the aesthetics of the flat matter to them too. That is why they often prefer to furnish it themselves, or simply already own furniture bought earlier.

A flat with or without furniture – which to offer?

As we can see, the trends are mixed and it is hard to side with just one of them. If we are aiming to let a flat to students, we should generally offer a furnished flat. This way we increase our chances of quickly finding a tenant. In such a situation, however, we must reckon with higher tenant turnover and the need to let by the room, which does not suit every landlord. It requires more effort in searching for successive tenants.

On the other hand, by offering a flat without furniture, we may search longer for a tenant, but once we find one, they will most likely stay for a longer period. Moreover, when we do not provide our own furniture, we do not expose ourselves to the costs of buying it, and we eliminate possible financial losses resulting from its wear or damage.

It is also possible to offer potential tenants a partly furnished flat, depending on how many items the tenants themselves own. It may happen that those interested already have their own table, sofa or bed, and it is clear that they would prefer to use their own furniture. In such situations it is best to reach a compromise and remove some of the unneeded items from the flat.

To sum up, the property market in Poland largely offers furnished flats for rent. The situation is slowly changing, however, in favour of unfurnished units. Landlords are also becoming more and more flexible in this respect, offering the option of removing furniture from the property if the need arises.