The Pros & Cons of Renting Furniture

Renting furniture can be an easy and affordable option for people who need furnishings for a temporary period of time. There are several benefits that furniture renters take advantage of, but also some drawbacks to keep in mind when deciding whether or not to use a furniture rental provider.

At Furniture Options, we’ve helped customers across the Midwest get the most out of their furniture rental by sharing these same pros and cons. We want to make sure you are well informed before deciding whether or not furniture rental is right for you.

These benefits and downsides are some of the most important aspects to keep in mind when making your rental furniture decision.

The Benefits

Often, consumers overlook rental furniture as an option when on the hunt for home furnishings, but there are several advantages to renting furniture that should be considered before making a purchase or rental decision.

The top 5 most important benefits of rental furniture are:

1. No Long-Term Commitments

When renting-to-rent, furniture shoppers will enjoy a degree of freedom that is difficult to find with other furniture choices. This is because rent-to-rent furnishings are yours for as long as you want, but you can get rid of them whenever you’re done.

There’s no long-term commitment with rent-to-rent furnishings, so if your furniture needs are temporary or you’d like a variety of furniture choices, these rental furnishings could be a great option for you.

2. Save Money

When renting your temporary furnishings you can expect some significant savings over purchasing from a furniture retailer.

The average person spends a little under $8,200 when purchasing furnishings for their home, making it unrealistic to do so when you only need the furniture for a short time.

With some rental furniture providers offering furnishings for less than $190 per month, you could save thousands by renting your temporary home furnishings.

3. Rental Providers do All the Heavy Lifting

Much like furniture retailers, most rental furniture companies offer a delivery service to get your furniture from the store and into your home.

As was mentioned above, you can expect different services to be included in your delivery fee, depending on your provider. These services will always include the delivery of your furniture, but may also add the assembly of your furnishings, the installation of electronics, and the pick up into your fee as well.

Be sure to know what all you get with your delivery service to avoid any unwanted surprises (like assembly or pick up fees) later.

4. Delivery in a Day

When setting up your delivery, you can also ask how soon the rental furniture provider will be able to deliver your furnishings. Often, the rental company will give you their soonest date possible which, depending on the provider, could be as soon as the next day.

Some rental furniture companies offer next day delivery as part of their delivery service, helping shoppers get furniture when they need it.

5. Sustainability

Furniture rental companies keep their furnishings in top condition to maximize its lifespan and, after deep cleaning each piece, they rent out their furniture to new clients looking to take advantage of the benefits of rental furniture.

This process allows the furniture to continue its use longer than purchased furniture, reducing the environmental impact of the furniture.

There are several benefits to using rental furniture, some you may have never considered! Read through our 5 Reasons You Should Rent Your Furniture blog to learn more about how these benefits are helping furniture shoppers.

The Downsides

While there are many benefits to renting your furniture, there are also some drawbacks that may be experienced with your furniture rental.

The most common drawbacks to furniture rental include:

1. You may not be able to see your furnishings before renting

One of the most common problems faced by furniture renters is the inability to see the exact pieces you’ll receive when renting a furniture package or collection.

While not an issue when choosing your pieces individually or renting-to-own, renting furniture in a package is a common choice for shoppers, so keep an eye out for this if you’re thinking about renting your furnishings as a collection.

2. More expensive over time

While renting furniture is typically less expensive than purchasing your furnishings, renters who need their furnishings for longer periods of time may wind up paying more for their furniture than they would if they had bought the furniture.

This can become a problem for shoppers who need furniture permanently or for more than a year. For these shoppers, purchasing the furnishings from a retailer or renting-to-own may be the best fit for their needs.

3. Hidden Costs

There are several fees when renting furniture that can make your rental more expensive than you might expect. These fees include:

• Delivery Costs

• Pick Up Fees

• Damage Waiver or Renters Insurance

The damage waiver is a protection plan that many rental furniture providers either recommend or require when renting their furnishings. Depending on the provider, this fee may be calculated differently or entirely written off if you have renters insurance that covers rental furniture.

All of these fees may increase your rental furniture costs more than you expect. Be sure to understand your rental furniture provider’s policies and fees to avoid any extra costs.

4. Fewer options

With nearly 30,000 furniture retailers across the U.S. selling all types of home furnishings, it’s no surprise the few hundred furniture rental companies in the country can’t provide the same variety of furnishings.

Because there are fewer furniture rental companies than furniture retailers, there are fewer options for shoppers to choose from.

Despite this, there are still thousands of furnishings to enjoy from rental companies, so unless you’re hunting for a specific piece, you likely will find something that fits your needs well.