A well-furnished room lets faster, attracts better tenants and gets fewer complaints. But furniture in a rental takes a beating, and it has to meet fire safety rules. This checklist covers what to buy for a room to let or an HMO, what tenants actually notice, and where it’s worth spending a little more.
This is general guidance for landlords in England. If your property is a licensed HMO, check Leicester City Council’s amenity and space standards and your licence conditions. They can set specific requirements.
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The fire safety rule you can’t ignore
If you let a property furnished, upholstered furniture and furnishings you provide (including sofas, mattresses, bed bases, headboards and cushions) must meet the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations. Look for the permanent fire safety label, and keep receipts. Avoid second-hand upholstered furniture unless it still has its label.
The bedroom checklist
Bed and mattress (spend most of your budget here)
- A sturdy metal bed frame or a well-built divan. Metal frames survive moves and tenants better than cheap flat-pack wood.
- A medium-firm mattress. A cheap, thin mattress is one of the most common complaints in shared houses.
- A waterproof mattress protector, replaced between tenancies. It’s the cheapest way to protect your mattress.
Storage
- A wardrobe with hanging space and drawers, or a separate chest of drawers.
- A bedside table – an easy small win.
Work space
Many tenants now work from home some days, so a proper desk makes a room easier to let.
- A desk (around 100cm wide fits most rooms) and a comfortable desk chair.
Window and lighting
- Blackout blinds or thermal curtains – good for sleep and for heating bills.
- A bright, modern ceiling light fitted by an electrician, plus a desk lamp.
Room security
Tenants in shared houses expect to be able to lock their room. Your fire risk assessment matters here. Bedroom doors in HMOs on escape routes often need to be fire doors with locks that open from inside without a key (a thumb-turn). Get a qualified locksmith and check your licence conditions.
Shared kitchen
- A fridge freezer big enough for everyone, or one fridge shelf and freezer drawer per person.
- A microwave and a kettle.
- Cupboard locks or one cupboard per tenant – this heads off a lot of arguments.
- A fire blanket – commonly required in HMO kitchens.
- A large bin with recycling compartments – cuts down on bin bag arguments.
Communal areas and safety
- A smoke alarm on every storey, and CO alarms in rooms with fixed combustion appliances. Sealed 10-year CO alarms and interlinked smoke and heat alarms are popular with landlords. Your fire risk assessment or licence may require a mains-wired system.
- A key safe for contractors and safety inspections.
- A noticeboard in the hall for the gas safety record, EICR, licence, cleaning rota and emergency contacts.
What tenants actually notice
- A good mattress and a quiet, dark room
- Enough sockets, and a working desk space
- Fast, reliable Wi-Fi (put a mesh Wi-Fi system in bigger houses)
- Clean, well-lit photos in the advert
Ready to let it?
Check you’re meeting your legal duties with our landlord legal checklist, then advertise your room on Rent A Room Leicester.