The Blueprint for Furniture Provision in Social Housing is a step-by-step guide to help landlords to understand how a furnished tenancy can work, how to recoup the capital outlay through the service charge, and how to ensure that they can support their tenants who could otherwise be living without essential furniture items.

The blueprint was developed by End Furniture Poverty, a campaigning charity that looks at ways to support people with furniture provision, through furnished tenancies, local crisis schemes, furniture reuse and much more.

Claire Donovan, head of policy, research and campaigns for End Furniture Poverty, said: “We have been supporting social landlords who are interested in furnished tenancies for several years, helping them to prepare business cases and also raising awareness of the huge benefits furnished tenancies can offer both tenants and landlords.

“Thanks to funding from the Fusion21 Foundation, we have been able to take this to a new level by compiling this detailed guide, speaking to dozens of social landlords and putting together a compelling case for every social landlord to provide essential furniture to their tenants.”

The blueprint examines the different ways furniture can be provided, through more traditional furnished tenancies, and also separate furniture rental agreements. It provides information on operations, staffing, data strategy and performance measurement, lots of information on the service change and benefits, and a full financial modelling section.

The blueprint is freely available on End Furniture Poverty’s website, and the team are also available to work with landlords to help them to develop their plans for furniture provision.

Claire Donovan said: “Millions of people are living in Furniture Poverty in the UK, living without essential furniture items. It has a devastating impact on their mental and physical health, and their social and financial wellbeing. It can lead to increased rental arrears as tenants turn to high cost credit to access basic items like a cooker, a fridge or a bed, and as the cost of living crisis continues, the situation is only going to get worse.

“Furnished tenancies are not only the right thing to offer to tenants, they also make sense for the landlord and as our Blueprint shows through the case studies with landlords already offering furniture, there are some great benefits for landlords with reduced churn, reduced void costs, reduced rental arrears and much more.”

End Furniture Poverty examined the extent of furniture provision in social housing in No Place like Home, a report published in 2021 which showed that only 2% of socially rented properties were let as fully or partly furnished, compared to 29% in the private rental sector. They hope that this is now changing as more landlords recognise the benefits of furnished tenancies, especially as other types of furniture support, such as local authority local welfare schemes, become harder to access as statutory budgets face further cuts.

Jo Hannan, foundation manager at Fusion21, added: “We’re proud to have funded this important detailed guide to support innovation in social housing and to create wider opportunities for policy advocacy - highlighting not just where but how changes could be made to help end furniture poverty.

“One of the Foundation’s main objectives is to make a visible impact in the area of financial inclusion and resilience. End Furniture Poverty’s work shines a beacon of light on the experiences of those living in social housing, where around 50% of tenants are already living in poverty and unable to afford basic furniture or white goods.”

End Furniture Poverty is the campaigning and social research arm of FRC Group, a group of registered charities and 100% not-for-profit social businesses who have been providing furniture, both new and preloved, to people living in Furniture Poverty for over 30 years. End Furniture Poverty carries out research to understand the causes and possible solutions to furniture poverty, raises awareness of furniture poverty and campaigns to deliver social change.

They have published reports looking at local welfare provision from local authorities with a third report on this due out later in November. They also work closely with the grant giving sector and furniture reuse sector.

End Furniture Poverty are holding a webinar on Friday, 18th November, 10.30am to 11.30am to talk through the steps outlined in the Blueprint. Ian Fyfe, Furnished Tenancy Manager from Torus, and Paul Aitkin, Group Commercial Manager at Karbon Homes, will also be sharing best practice from furnished tenancy schemes. Email info@EndFurniturePoverty.org to register to attend.

Alternatively, End Furniture Poverty are happy to meet with any landlords to offer one-to-one support.