Furniture & Fittings For Lodgers

There is actually no legal requirement for lodger landlords to provide furniture with your room, the only requirement is that any furniture you do provide is complaint with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1987, which essentially means it needs to be fire safety compliant and carry the proper labels. However, if you’re supplying new furniture and fittings, it shouldn’t be a problem, because all new furniture sold in a shop must be compliant- so the legislation is particularly for old furniture. More details available on the Fire Safe website.

What furniture & fittings is expected by your lodger

While there is no legal requirements to provide furniture, it is mostly expected, and the basics should be provided:

  • A bed and mattress. It’s a good idea to put a waterproof protective cover over the mattress- here’s one on Amazon:
  • Radiator/heating device
  • Desk/table
  • Bedside table
  • Curtains
  • Storage- shelves/wardrobes/drawers
  • Power outlet
  • Light

When furniture is required

If you’re aware of the “Rent a room” scheme (if not, please refer to the Income Tax page)- and you want to qualify for the £4,250 tax free income, the room you provide to your lodger MUST be furnished to qualify.

Presentation & Decor

Again, there’s no legal obligation to present or decorate your spare room in any particular way, but in order to maximize safety and lodger interest, the following points should be taken into consideration:

  • Keep the room bright and clean
  • Cream/magnolia is a popular choice for painting the walls- it’s neutral and lightens up the room
  • Avoid cramming/overcrowding the room with furniture and fittings- provide only the essentials and provide furniture in the right proportions to the space available in the room
  • Provide a good quality, endurable carpet. Cheap carpets generally wear very quickly, so it’s always worth getting a good quality one, otherwise you could end up spending more money replacing them frequently. Alternatively, laminate flooring is also a good option.