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Just 2% of social homes are furnished when rented, research finds

Only 2% of homes in the social sector are let as furnished or partly furnished, compared with almost a third of homes in the private rented sector, research by a charity has found.

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Only 2% of social homes come with some form of furnishing such as curtains (picture: Getty)
Only 2% of social homes come with some form of furnishing such as curtains (picture: Getty)
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Just 2% of social homes are furnished compared with 29% of private rented homes #UKhousing

A report by campaign group End Furniture Poverty found that just 2% of social homes include some form of furnishing, such as floor coverings and curtains, while just 1% come fully furnished.

In comparison, 29% of private rented properties come at least partly furnished, the research found.

The report is based on an analysis of a survey of 40,000 UK households, carried out in 2018 by Understanding Society.

In-depth interviews with social housing professionals and tenants were also carried out to understand the barriers to providing furnished tenancies, as well as what impact the lack of furniture has on tenants’ lives.

The report’s authors said there was “a general lack of understanding and awareness within the sector with regards to how a furnished tenancy scheme would work in practice”.

For example, many social housing professionals had concerns relating to the eligibility of furniture as a service charge and the amount that would be approved by a local benefits office.


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From the tenant’s perspective, the report found that many tenants live without one or more essential items and that the current approach “is significantly failing to help tenants obtain furniture”.

In addition to having a positive impact on tenants’ mental health and financial security, the report found that providing furniture is likely to improve tenancy sustainability.

The report recommends that social landlords appoint a ‘Furnished Tenancy Champion’ to work with End Furniture Poverty in order to explore the provision of furnished tenancies within their organisations.

Social landlords should also survey their tenants to hear their views on the provision of furnished tenancies, the report said.

End Furniture Poverty is also calling on the government to provide clarity for social landlords with regards to the eligibility of furniture as a service charge and to reintroduce adequate ringfenced funding for local welfare assistance schemes.

Claire Donovan, campaigns manager at End Furniture Poverty, said: “At End Furniture Poverty, we have long believed that furnished tenancies can provide a comprehensive solution to furniture poverty for some people, primarily those in receipt of housing benefit, as the cost of a furniture package is eligible to be covered by the service charge element.

“While we understand that social landlords face many challenges and that they work tirelessly to support their tenants, we have produced this report to help us to better understand how we can help them to extend that support and create furnished tenancy schemes.”

Reverend Dr David Walker, bishop of Manchester and chair of Wythenshawe Housing Group, said: “This timely and well-researched report suggests one way in which social landlords can make a difference.

“The fact that some 29% of private tenancies are fully or partly furnished, compared with only 2% of social tenancies, should be in itself a clear indicator that we in the social housing sector are failing to tailor the services and products we offer to the needs of the types of households we are set up to serve.

“I commend it to senior executives, frontline workers and board members in social housing, and hope that together we can make an impact to reduce furniture poverty from the blight it is on so many lives.”

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