Although most rental properties are unfurnished, many come furnished at least at a basic level. For example, some landlords provide a bed, dresser, kitchen table, couch, armchair, table lamps, and some wall décor. Since landlords can charge between 10% and 20% more rent per month for a furnished unit, you might be wondering if you should start furnishing your rentals. There is no right or wrong answer, and there are benefits to both options. However, there are some things you need to consider before renting out a furnished apartment or home.

1. Your tenants might break the furnishings

No matter how careful someone is, accidents happen. Even your best tenant might break the furnishings you provide, and if it wasn’t done intentionally or carelessly, you’ll be on the hook to fix or replace the item. You can’t just leave it broken or remove it and call it a day. When a unit is furnished, you will need to replace any item that becomes unusable or hazardous.

If you like the idea of a furnished unit, but you don’t want to manage the tedium of extra repairs, then you need a property manager. A property manager will take care of your rentals and your tenants, so you don’t have to lift a finger.

For example, Fresno property management company, Green Residential, handles all types of rentals for their clients, including furnished homes. If you’re going to run any kind of business, it makes sense to outsource important tasks to experts whenever possible, and nobody can do a better job than a professional property management team.

2. Don’t buy expensive furnishings

Furnishings are nice to have, but have you ever noticed that most of them aren’t amazing? If you’ve ever rented a furnished apartment, you’ve probably noticed that the couch upholstery felt weird, or the carpet was really basic. That’s because apartment owners know there’s no sense in overspending on furnishings. Good enough is good enough.

Spending too much money on your furnishings is risky, so only spend what’s required to get what you need. You don’t want a kitchen table that’s going to fall apart, but you also don’t want to buy a nice, solid oak table that will get scratched up and look terrible for future tenants.

3. Get creative with wall art

How you decorate the space on the walls matters, but you don’t want to get too crazy; otherwise, you might deter people. Get creative with the art you put on the wall, but try to keep it a little general. Don’t get too niche specific, like putting up a bunch of rooster paintings or wild birds. General art, like beautiful landscapes, seascapes, and lush forests, are always a good choice.

4. Hire a professional interior decorator

Hiring a professional decorator to help you decorate is the best decision you can make for a furnished rental. Interior decorators know exactly how to make a space look and feel cozy. They’ll help you create a neutral, yet inviting feeling that will attract plenty of potential tenants.

You may also want to consult with a professional staging company to get ideas for the type of furniture you’ll use. They might be able to give you some pointers for how to make the place look great.

5. Take good photos of your furniture before and after each tenant

It is absolutely critical that you take good pictures of all the furnishings you provide to your tenants both before they move in and after they move out. If you’re going to use part of their security deposit to pay for repairs or replacements, you’ll need to be able to prove that they caused the damage.

6. Consider insuring your furnishings

It’s possible to get insurance for your furnishings, but that won’t make sense for everyone. For example, if you’re renting a small space and only spent $2,000 total on the furnishings, and your insurance premiums are $500 per year, after just four years, you’ll actually be losing money by carrying insurance. However, if you have multiple units you’re renting out, it might make more sense. You’ll need to do the math and determine whether or not it’s worth having insurance.

Furnished rentals can be profitable

Thanks to a high demand, renting furnished properties can be profitable, but it will take an upfront investment of your time and money. However, the increase in rental income will justify your initial expense.