Buying furniture is a huge expense, and you can often save a lot of money by renting big-ticket items instead. Each year, more than 40 million Americans move and each move is different. While some are more permanent, others are just for a little while. In these cases, renting furniture can help save time and money. By renting instead of buying, apartment renters can outfit their homes without the hassle or upfront cost for expensive things like beds, couches, appliances or dining sets.
Since the average person moves 11 times during their lifetime, there's a good chance renting furniture will work for you at some point. Plus, many furniture rental companies provide style and design services to help make your place feel like home.
There are usually two options when renting furniture — rent-to-own or rent-to-return. Deciding which one is right for you depends on a few key issues:
Many people rent-to-own when they want an item now but can't afford to pay the full cost upfront. This option allows you to make monthly payments that eventually pay off the cost of the piece. If at any point, making payments becomes difficult, you can usually return the item.
Rent-to-return works like any lease. You guarantee you'll make payments for the lease period, and when that period is over, you return the item. This solution works well for people who know their living situation is temporary. It also makes your next move easier and more affordable by having less to bring with you.
Either way, when you rent furniture, you'll make regular payments for the items for a set period of time.
There are multiple, well-known chains specializing in furniture for rent and houseware. Here are 10 furniture rental companies worth exploring.
An established, nationwide brand, CORT offers furniture for every room of your home. They provide discounted furniture rental packages to save even more time when furnishing your new apartment or house, including special rates for students.
CORT also offers outlet stores, with new and previously-rented furniture, to save even more money — up to 70 percent off the retail price of new items. There's most likely a showroom near you, so you can go in and see the furniture before you buy. You can also order online and schedule delivery for added convenience.
Focusing on your personal style, Feather starts the rental process with a style quiz. You're then offered furniture options that work with your tastes, budget and the physical space you have available. They also offer assembly services if you're not handy with a screwdriver.
As a subscription-based service, once your plan ends you have a few options. You can decide to renew your lease, swap your furniture for something else, buy what you already have or return everything.
Packages are available for the primary rooms in a house. Individual furniture pieces from well-known brands like West Elm are available as well.
Brook rents an assortment of essential furniture items, accessories and electronics for your home. They focus on the living room, bedroom, dining area and bathroom. There's even artwork available to help make your home feel less temporary.
Start by selecting a single piece of furniture online. Brook then recommends coordinating pieces based on your needs. You create your own package of the furniture pieces you want for a particular room.
The length of time you'll need to rent and the number of items you want determines the cost. Delivery takes about two days.
Besides offering furniture for rent, Aaron's has an inventory of electronics and appliances for your home. It's a full one-stop shop for everything you might need, including gaming systems and televisions. This company encourages you to shop by style, from casual to contemporary, so it's simple to choose what you like.
Offering packages, special deals and sales, this national brand is a rent-to-own chain. Not only can you own your items once you complete your payments, but you can pay off your balance early.
Another national rent-to-own chain, Rent-a-Center offers furniture, appliances and electronics ranging from TVs to smartphones. Assuming you'll want to buy your items, they offer a discount for paying off your balance early. Another perk: No long-term contracts, so you can cancel or upgrade anytime.
AFR offers a huge inventory of affordable furniture, housewares, appliances, decorative items and electronics so you can set up your space. There's a clearance center where you can pick up gently used furniture for a fraction of its retail price, with new items added every week. You can also upgrade or downgrade your package at any time.
Startup furniture rental company Oliver Space has packages for living rooms, bedrooms and dining rooms. Using the room builder tool, renters can digitally try different pieces or accessories to see what works best in the space. Or, you can choose overall themes such as "Beach Getaway" or "Cocktails & Charcuterie" to get ideas for mixing and matching. Choose from short- or discounted long-term leases.
This company currently serves Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas and Austin.
With more than 4,000 items in its inventory, Casa One rents everything including gym equipment and outdoor furniture for flexible leases of one month or 12. The company will deliver and assemble anything you rent for free within three business days and also picks up your rentals when you're ready to move out.
If you're leaning towards more premium, trendy furnishings, Fernish is worth a look. Every two years, there are new lines of rental furniture available for living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms and home offices. There's a minimum three-month rental term, and you'll get your items a week later — and assembled for free.
Fernish allows you three days to live with your choices, and you can exchange anything you don't like.
Right now, this service is only offered in Dallas, Austin, Seattle and Southern California.
For renters searching for a more vintage vibe, The Everset offers interesting pieces for bedrooms, living rooms and dining rooms that are new but look like you picked them up at a hip second-hand store. Choose one of their packages or build your own. This service is only offered in the New York City area.
Bonus: Once their furniture has reached the end of its rental life, the company donates it to Habitat for Humanity.
After choosing among these furniture rental companies, the next step is figuring out exactly what you need for your new home. Consider taking inspiration from current design trends such as feng shui or hygge to help create a comfortable and stylish living space.
It's also important to do a local search for the area where you're moving for any other options. Local stores may offer good deals to stay competitive with larger companies.
Wendy Helfenbaum is a Montreal-based journalist and television producer with 25 years of experience. She writes about real estate, design, architecture, DIY, gardening and travel for many publications and websites, including Apartment Therapy, Metropolis, AARP, Home in Canada, PBS’ NextAvenue, Realtor.com, Country Gardens and dozens more. Downtime passions include skiing, travel, DIY, waiting for the next Springsteen tour and hoping the Montreal Canadiens finally win another Stanley Cup.