Furnished or Bare? Choosing Between Fully Furnished, Semi-Furnished and Bare Rentals

What each level usually includes

Listing says semi-furnished and nobody can tell you what that covers? → Have Yixing check the inventory line by line before you sign

Definitions vary between landlords, so the contract annex governs, not the advertisement:

• Fully furnished — furniture, appliances and basic soft furnishings, effectively move-in ready.
• Semi-furnished — typically built-in cabinetry and air conditioning, sometimes a few appliances; the most variable tier.
• Bare — the unit and fixed installations only.

On outfitting a unit yourself, see furnishing a condo.

Choose by length of stay, not by price

A few months: fully furnished or serviced; see short-term rentals. One to two years: semi-furnished is usually the balance point. Three years or a family: bare often works out better, since you can fit it to how the household actually lives.

Also plan the exit: what happens to anything you buy when you leave is easier to decide now than in your final week.

Always annex an inventory

Whatever the tier, attach a furniture and equipment schedule listing category, quantity, location, brand or model where relevant, and current condition. Photograph every item on move-in day with dates, send a copy to the landlord and keep proof of sending. Check against the same schedule at move-out.

See drafting the lease and what may be deducted from a deposit.

Four clauses people skip

Who repairs appliances and how fair wear is distinguished from damage. Whether unwanted items can be removed, who stores them and whether restoration is required. Ownership of anything you install yourself, and whether it is removed, left or compensated. And the move-out inspection standard: which inventory, who attends, and by when; see move-out clearance.

Checks you can run during the viewing

In a furnished unit, test the air conditioning for cooling and noise, the water heater for time to heat, the fridge and washer under power, every light and socket, and the mattress and sofa for odours or pest traces.

In a bare unit, focus on what is expensive to change later: water pressure, drainage, socket count and placement, air conditioning provisions, connectivity and storage.

The broader process is in renting as a foreigner. Yixing (SEC CS202009551 · BI CA-202624381-1) can attend viewings and turn assumptions into written terms.