Furnishing a flat to let in Bulgaria: what it costs, how long it lasts and how fast it pays back

Furnishing a rental flat is an investment with a short life. A sofa you would keep for ten years at home may last half that with tenants. So the useful question is not "what does furnishing cost" but what does one month of use cost — and does the rent cover it. This is how we work it out when an owner asks us whether to furnish.

Furnished or unfurnished: different tenants

The choice is not only about money. It decides who answers the listing.

	Furnished	Unfurnished (or kitchen and appliances only)
Who it attracts	students, young professionals, people relocated for work, foreigners	families and people with their own furniture who plan to stay longer
Length of tenancy	more often shorter	more often longer
Your upfront cost	higher	lower
Wear and replacement	your responsibility	mostly the tenant's
Risk of a move-out dispute	higher — more to list	lower

These are observations from our practice, not statistics. The sensible middle ground is often a fitted kitchen, appliances, lighting and wardrobes, with the rest left to the tenant. The flat is liveable from day one, but you are not paying for a sofa the tenant may not want.

Divide the cost by the item's life

The most useful exercise: for each item, divide the price by its expected life with tenants (not with you) and by 12 months. That gives you what it "costs" you each month.

Illustrative example — the numbers are assumptions for the arithmetic, not market prices or official useful lives:

Item	Assumed price	Assumed life	Per month
Mattress	€400	6 years	≈ €5.60
Washing machine	€500	8 years	≈ €5.20
Fridge	€600	10 years	€5.00
Sofa	€800	5 years	≈ €13.30
Table and chairs	€400	8 years	≈ €4.20
Wardrobe	€600	10 years	€5.00
Total	€3,300		≈ €38.30

How to read it:

• Payback is a simple division: upfront cost ÷ the extra monthly rent that furnishing actually brings you. Check that difference against comparable listings in your own area — it varies a lot between cities and types of flat.
• If the difference barely covers the monthly cost in the table, furnishing earns you nothing — it only adds work.
• Add the risk of empty months. One month without a tenant costs a full month's rent, so an item that makes the flat easier to let sometimes pays back by shortening the void, not through a higher rent.
• A cheap item with a short life often costs more per month than a better one that lasts. Run both numbers.

Where not to save

Mattress. Tenants feel it every night and mention it first at a viewing. Buy a good mattress with a removable or washable cover, plus a protector — you replace the protector, not the mattress. Many owners also replace the mattress between tenants; build that into the sums.

Major appliances. Washing machine, fridge, oven/hob, water heater. A breakdown means an urgent call, a repair visit and an unhappy tenant. Choose a mainstream brand with easy servicing and spare parts, check the EU energy label (the tenant pays the electricity bill, but also notices it when choosing a flat), and keep the warranty cards in one folder.

Lighting. Tenants rarely bring their own lamps. Fit a light in every room, enough light in the kitchen and bathroom, and LED bulbs. A dark flat looks smaller and older in listing photos.

Locks and keys. Change the front-door cylinder between tenants — it is cheap and settles the question of who else has a key. Record in the handover how many keys you hand over.

Where you can save

• Décor. Pictures, cushions, vases — tenants bring their own. A neutral background lets better than someone else's taste.
• Designer furniture. Wear is faster in a let flat, and tenants rarely pay more for a label. Choose simple, sturdy pieces that are easy to replace.
• Expensive flooring. Solid parquet or natural stone look good, but scratches from chairs and suitcases come quickly. Durable laminate or vinyl with a good wear rating is often the more sensible choice for a rental.
• Second-hand. A sound second-hand table, cabinet or chair is perfectly acceptable. The mattress is the exception.

For the aesthetics of your own home — proportions, colours, textiles — see our guide to decorating your own home. The same principles apply to a rental, with a stricter eye on durability.

Inventory and handover record: no argument at the end

Bulgarian law leans towards the owner, but only if you have evidence. Under Art. 233 of the Obligations and Contracts Act (ЗЗД) the tenant must return the property and is liable for damage caused during the tenancy unless they prove they are not responsible; until proven otherwise, the property is presumed to have been received in good condition. Under Art. 231 ЗЗД, minor repairs due to ordinary use are for the tenant's account, while other damage not caused by the tenant's fault is for the landlord's.

In practice the dispute is almost always "that was already there". The answer is a handover record with an inventory (приемо-предавателен протокол), signed by both sides as an annex to the lease:

• list of furniture and appliances — brand, model and, for appliances, serial number;
• condition of each item in words ("scratch on the table top, left corner");
• dated photos — wide and close-up, room by room;
• electricity, water and heat meter readings;
• number of keys, fobs and remotes;
• warranty cards and manuals you leave behind.

At move-out you go through the same list. Normal wear (faded paint, a slightly worn floor) is not damage; a broken cabinet door is. The more detailed the inventory at the start, the shorter the conversation at the end. What else belongs in the lease and how rental income is taxed is covered in our guide to letting out property and the tax you owe.

Short-term versus long-term letting

Short-term guests expect something close to hotel standard: several sets of bed linen and towels, a fully equipped kitchen, hairdryer, iron, fast internet, clear instructions. Wear is heavier and the standard higher, so the sums above change: shorter item lives and more textiles to replace. Short-term letting also has its own registration requirements — what is needed from 2026 is set out in our article on short-term letting after 20 May 2026.

Long-term letting is the reverse: fewer items, but sturdier ones, and more freedom for the tenant to add their own.

A short checklist before the first listing

• Have you decided which tenant you are after — and so furnished, part-furnished or empty?
• Have you compared the monthly cost of the furniture with the rent difference?
• Mattress, appliances, lighting and locks — no compromise?
• Décor — neutral and minimal?
• Handover record with inventory, photos and meter readings — ready to sign?

If you are weighing up whether and how to furnish a flat to let, call us or visit our office — we will look at the property with you and tell you what tenants in your area are looking for.