Question about furnished properties...

Are you obligated to "keep" any or all of the furniture that comes with a property you choose to let, or do you have the option to have them remove the furniture prior to moving in?

It seems like quality of furnishings within a property could vary so greatly. I'd just as soon have my own "stuff."

It depends - you can always ask if the landlord/owner can move some things out for you.  Many people do so particularly for their own bed.

You have to check the listing or ask the letting agency/owner.  Some houses are marketed as "furnished or unfurnished"...obviously meaning you can choose whether you want the furniture or not (usually the cost is lower if you don't want the furniture included).  Some places will allow you to pick and choose what furniture you want to keep in and they will remove the other furniture (or remove the furniture at a later date if you decide to buy new stuff).  Some places will not allow you to remove the furniture because the owners do not want to pay storage fees.

It will definitely depend on the landlord.  The landlord may agree to remove the furniture but then increase the monthly rent to compensate for having to pay a monthly storage fee. 

Whatever happens, make sure it is spelled out in the lease or in a separate addendum!  A friend had tossed some particularly crappy furnishings after verbally clearing it with the landlord -- but never got it in writing.  The landlord "forgot" that conversation when it came time to do the check out at the end of the lease.  Not good.   

Whatever happens, make sure it is spelled out in the lease or in a separate addendum! 

Agreed. Getting it in writing is essential to protect both you and the landlord from any misunderstandings. 

I have done this with each of the properties I have rented.  It is best to negotiate up front as part of your offer.

We tried to get our landlord to take away the crap bed that he had in here, but he didn't want to take it out and store it anywhere.  So then we offered to buy a replacement and leave it here so we could get rid of the horrible thing.  The mattress had stains all over it and the bed was ancient so squeaked all the time and was super uncomfortable as it just had wire netting that the mattress sat on.  The landlord wouldn't take our offer to replace it because he said it was a "family antique" and he wanted to keep it.  So, instead the bed is leaning up agains the wall on the landing of our flat and we got a new one.  The moral of this story is to make sure to ask the landlord before signing the lease if it is important to you to have your own furniture.

Just echoing what everyone else said, its up to your landlord.  My landlord lives in New Zealand so he's got nowhere to put anything.  So my flat is full of stuff I don't want or need, including dishes and whatnot.  I'm using my own valuable closet space up storing his stuff so that I can use mine.

I need to move...

Good to know! Thanks!

We'll be moving some of our furniture over from the States (like our son's crib and dressers) but wanted to purchase some new things when we arrive.

But, we are moving to a "college town" and I'm just cringing thinking of the possibilities of the kinds of furnishings some of these rentals may include. I remember what little respect I had for my surroundings when I was a uni student...

I just don't understand why these landlords are so cheap? Why would you want to fill an apartment/rental house with junk you found on the sidewalk ready to be thrown into the trash and then have people come by and say "See? Don't you want to live here?" Business-wise it doesn't make sense. I'd think you would want some decent stuff (doesn't have to be "Ethan Allen" type quality, but the bed Leisa described is just disgusting!) Where my boyfriend lives, their house is filled with mismatched, old, nasty stuff. I was scared to sit on the sofa. I understand that it's not easy to move in/out of London (his explanation as to why places are always furnished), but really. Can't people just hire a truck like we do over here? People move in/out of places in cities all the time.

There are very few things I don't like about the UK (crappy customer service is another) but this whole weird system of rental places just confounds me.

So my flat is full of stuff I don't want or need, including dishes and whatnot.  I'm using my own valuable closet space up storing his stuff so that I can use mine.

I need to move...

Yep, when we requested that a few furniture items be removed from our first flat, the landlords said "fine" right away and we put it into the lease that X, Y, and Z would be removed.  The day we moved in, we found they'd shoved it all in our one and only closet and wouldn't do anything about it when we mentioned it.  Fabulous.    

I just don't understand why these landlords are so cheap? Why would you want to fill an apartment/rental house with junk you found on the sidewalk ready to be thrown into the trash and then have people come by and say "See? Don't you want to live here?" Business-wise it doesn't make sense. I'd think you would want some decent stuff (doesn't have to be "Ethan Allen" type quality, but the bed Leisa described is just disgusting!) Where my boyfriend lives, their house is filled with mismatched, old, nasty stuff. I was scared to sit on the sofa. I understand that it's not easy to move in/out of London (his explanation as to why places are always furnished), but really. Can't people just hire a truck like we do over here? People move in/out of places in cities all the time.

There are very few things I don't like about the UK (crappy customer service is another) but this whole weird system of rental places just confounds me.

I think there may be a general tendency to not buy furniture until your purchase property here as rental is seen as temporary, perhaps?   

I have to say that moving as a single girl to London, the furnished property system made the move easier and I knew my housing situation was definitely not permanent, so I was not too attached / bothered by the furnishings.   

I just don't understand why these landlords are so cheap?

I think this is the whole horrible cycle that renters know that landlords are cheap and as a result don't care/respect the furnishings and the landlords won't take the risk of putting in nicer things because they will just be ruined.

I have been shocked at the state of a flat -- including expensive and in a nice area -- when renters move out. 

I personally would never rent a furnished flat because I am particular about my things and there is no way I am sleeping on a stained bed (as an example).  I need to feel comfortable in my house and my things are a large part of that.

Again?