Research by Manor Interiors has revealed which major cities offer the best availability of furnished rental stock across the market.
The build-to-rent furnishing solutions specialist analysed current rental market stock across 24 major cities in Britain, as well as the nation as a whole, looking at what percentage of homes listed offered the convenience of coming fully furnished.
50% of all rental homes in Britain currently listed to let are furnished.
Aberdeen ranks top as the nation’s furnished rental hotspot, with 89% of all rental properties coming fully furnished.
The majority of rental properties in Edinburgh also come furnished, at 85%.
Leeds appears to be the best bet for finding a furnished rental home in England, with 84% of all rental stock coming furnished. Close behind is Newcastle, at 81%.
Swansea ranks top in Wales (78%), with Birmingham (74%), Manchester (73%), Sheffield (72%), Plymouth (71%) and Leicester (71%) also ranking within the top 10.
In contrast, only 22% of rental homes listed on the market in Newport are fully furnished, with Bournemouth (34%) and Bradford (39%) also home to some of the lowest levels of furnished rental homes.
Farhan Malik, CEO of Manor Interiors, comments: “While the rental sector has traditionally acted as a stepping stone to homeownership, we’re now seeing far more people opt to rent as a long term lifestyle choice.
“The convenience and flexibility of renting long term really resonate with the modern-day tenant and we’re starting to see the rental sector evolve to meet these needs, particularly through the build-to-rent sector.
“Furnished homes are just one aspect of this evolution and presenting a stylish, practically furnished home is a sure-fire way to grab the attention of tenants above and beyond your average rental home.
“However, you don’t need to break the bank to achieve this but you also want to refrain from filling your rental home with cheap furniture that is likely to need replacing by the time the next tenant enters the home. Bespoke, high-quality furniture can be purchased for a reasonable price whether you’re fitting out one buy-to-let home, or a hundred units within a build-to-rent development.”
The major cities with the highest proportion of furnished rental homes as a percentage of all rental homes listed on the market
| Location | All rentals | Furnished rentals | Furnished % |
| Aberdeen | 832 | 737 | 89% |
| Edinburgh | 1,421 | 1,211 | 85% |
| Leeds | 4,899 | 4,108 | 84% |
| Newcastle | 2,079 | 1,691 | 81% |
| Swansea | 273 | 214 | 78% |
| Birmingham | 4,751 | 3,525 | 74% |
| Manchester | 5,038 | 3,682 | 73% |
| Sheffield | 1,794 | 1,289 | 72% |
| Plymouth | 798 | 569 | 71% |
| Leicester | 2,553 | 1,802 | 71% |
| Portsmouth | 1,359 | 955 | 70% |
| Cardiff | 1,330 | 924 | 69% |
| Oxford | 1,347 | 927 | 69% |
| Liverpool | 2,274 | 1,511 | 66% |
| Nottingham | 2,517 | 1,596 | 63% |
| London | 61,258 | 37,957 | 62% |
| Sunderland | 479 | 286 | 60% |
| Glasgow | 1,386 | 770 | 56% |
| Cambridge | 905 | 487 | 54% |
| Southampton | 1,652 | 853 | 52% |
| Bristol | 1,573 | 674 | 43% |
| Bradford | 393 | 153 | 39% |
| Bournemouth | 617 | 207 | 34% |
| Newport | 156 | 35 | 22% |
| Great Britain | 183,419 | 90,913 | 50% |
| Data sourced from Rightmove – 15/07/2021 |