When you decide to rent a fully furnished apartment, you’re choosing ease, flexibility and convenience. By going this route, you can live in the apartment of your dreams without the commitment of purchasing the furniture. You can pack up and move at a moment’s notice, without having to hoard stacks of moving boxes. That doesn’t mean, however, that you don’t need to be an educated and careful consumer. There are a few unique things to consider when renting a fully furnished apartment, and some important questions you need to ask. By getting answers to these questions before signing on the dotted line, you can make the best decision for your lifestyle!
#1: What furniture is included with the apartment?
When you are renting an apartment that comes pre-furnished, ask for a list of what exactly is included. You might be surprised how much furnished apartments can vary. Some come with only the bare necessities, others come decked out. You don’t want to realize at shower time that you don’t have a shower curtain, or discover on your first night that you don’t have a single lamp, let alone a lamp with a light bulb. Understand what is included and what you’ll need to add.
#2: Is furniture included in the rent?
While it’s nice to believe that everyone has great intentions and no one will mislead you, that’s not always the case. You don’t want to rent a furnished apartment only to find out that there is an added furniture rent on top of the stated apartment rent when you get your first bill. Make sure to ask your landlord if the furniture rental fees are all included in the rent, so you don’t get any nasty surprises.
#3: Is there a security deposit on the furniture?
When you rent an apartment, you’ll already be paying a security deposit, one that typically equals one month’s rent. Ask if there is a security deposit on the furniture as well, because that can dramatically increase the amount you have to hand over. In fact, it can double or even triple the security deposit you’ll need to cough up. This one’s an important detail to know!
#4: How is pickup and delivery handled?
If the furniture isn’t already in the apartment, you’ll need to know exactly how delivery and pickup are handled. Will the delivery team do the heavy lifting when everything arrives? Will they assemble it, or is that on you? When you’re done with your rented furniture, how do you schedule and prepare for a pick-up? Renting through CORT means that the delivery, heavy lifting, assembling and disassembling, and moving out are all handled by the CORT team. You won’t have to lift a finger – huzzah!
#5: Can I pick out the furniture?
Some pre-furnished apartments come with whatever furniture the apartment complex decides. Others, however, can come with exactly the furniture you want, in the styles that you love. Here’s how it works. First, choose your apartment. Any apartment! Then, go to CORT.com and pick out the furniture, decor, and home accessories that you like. As we said above, CORT will take care of every ounce of assembly and heaving lifting.
As you look into renting a furnished apartment, keep this list in hand. You can rent an apartment that already comes fully furnished, which may limit your apartment options. Or, you can have ANY apartment furnished with a little help from the folks at CORT. By going into the process with a bit more information, you’ll be ready to make the best decision with all the facts. Head on over to ApartmentSearch.com and check out the full furniture packages and prices for renting a furnished apartment. Seriously–you’re about to experience the easiest move in the world.
