Standards for electrical installations in furnished rental

Falling incomes, uncertainty about future pensions … there are plenty of reasons to encourage landlords to rent out furnished rentals. However, they must abide by a number of rules. Indeed, the law stipulates that a furnished rental is the rental of decent accommodation where tenants must be able to live immediately after receiving the keys, bringing only their personal belongings.

What are the mandatory equipment requirements for a furnished rental? What are the consequences of insufficient furniture and equipment? Who does the repair and maintenance? What are the tips for successful furnishing?

In the following sections, we will give you all the keys to furnishing your rental property.

Furnished rental is distinguished from non-furnished rentals by their own rules which are, among other things, those related to compulsory equipment.

The ALUR law of March 24, 2014 gave a legal definition to this type of rental, namely: “furnished accommodation is decent accommodation equipped with furniture in sufficient number and quality to allow the tenant to sleep, eat and live decently with regard to the demands of everyday life. “

In addition, the decree of July 31, 2015 n ° 2015-981 sets out the list of furniture and compulsory equipment that the accommodation must include, namely:

• Bedding with duvet or blanket
• Shutters or curtains in the bedrooms
• Hotplates, oven or microwave
• Fridge
• Freezer or freezer compartment of the refrigerator with a maximum temperature of -6 °
• Crockery in sufficient number for occupants to take meals
• Cooking tools
• Table and seats
• Storage
• Shelves
• Light fixtures
• Household maintenance equipment adapted to the characteristics of the accommodation (vacuum cleaner if there is carpet, broom and mop for tiling, etc.)

Note that linens (bedding, tea towels and bath towels, etc.) are not to be provided. The basic furniture is rather rudimentary.

These elements must be specified in the rental agreement and present in the home at the time of your tenant’s arrival.

Although the mandatory list of equipment for a furnished rental is precise, it does not cover all the furniture that may be required in a dwelling.

For a property intended for a family, tenants would not understand that there was no washing machine, for example.

So, you have to add the furniture and appliances that the clientele you are targeting expects. Thus, in order to achieve a rental as soon as possible and establish a serene relationship with your future tenant, it is advisable to add furniture that is useful but not compulsory.

The supply of this equipment also depends on the type of your accommodation. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine a dishwasher and a washing machine in a small studio. On the other hand, in a family apartment, the latter can be expected by the tenants.

Here are some ideas of non-compulsory equipment that can be added to equip your property:

• Sofa, armchairs …
• Additional tables (dining or low)
• Dishwasher, washing machine, coffee machine, hair dryer
• TV cabinet, TV screen

This equipment should be mentioned in the inventory during the inventory to indicate their presence.

If you do not provide your property with all the mandatory equipment, the tenant can request the requalification of the empty rental contract with all the unfortunate consequences that this entails in terms of:

• Contract length
• Security deposit amount
• Taxation

The furniture and equipment you provide are part of the rent the tenant pays monthly. As soon as they are damaged or break down, it is your duty and under your responsibility to replace or repair them.

Can you rent under semi-furnished?

The notion of semi-furnished does not exist. Either you provide all the furniture and it qualifies the rental as a furnished rental or you only provide a few and it is qualified as unfurnished rental. In this case, you will also need to do the repairs and replacements.

However, routine maintenance and small repairs are the responsibility of the tenant. You will therefore not have to screw the door handles back on, for example.

What if the tenant wants to bring one of the mandatory lists himself?

It is possible that the future tenant wants to bring one of the pieces of furniture himself and requests that it be removed from the accommodation.

In this case, the qualification of furnished rental cannot be called into question.

However, this can be done with some of the equipment, but not with all of the furniture.

Some practical advice for successful furnishing

You don’t have to equip your property as if it were Versailles, but here are some key tips:

• Give priority to the functionality of the equipment.
• Consider storage space to allow tenants to settle in properly.
• Write instructions for use: location of the electricity meter, boiler, number where you can be reached.
• Choose classic tableware. Thus, if the tenant breaks a glass, he can replace it easily. If not, you can deduct the price of the glass from the security deposit.
• Provide linens that are easy to maintain and wash.
• Protect your bedding and pillows to maintain their condition.
• Gather all the instructions for use of household appliances.

When signing the rental agreement, you must write a detailed inventory to be annexed to the lease, specifying the condition of the furniture. When the tenant leaves, the same formality must be carried out.

Thus, it will be easy for you to spot if a piece of equipment is missing or is degraded. You can then demand its reimbursement or deduct it from the security deposit.

However, take into account the time of the rental which can affect the wear and tear of the equipment.

To conclude, the law provides a list of furniture. You can go beyond this to add comfort elements that will be a real plus to help you find tenants easily, but you should be responsible for repair and replacement.

Also, this equipment depends on the type of your property and the targeted tenants (tourism, students, traveling professionals, etc.).

Adding furniture will also be a great way to increase the rental price in order to increase your financial profitability. The key is to highlight it in real estate advertisements, in particular through quality photos (good angle, brightness, etc.).