Tenants in London arrive with clothes and leave with clothes; what they rarely arrive with is a wardrobe that fits the room. A fitted wardrobe is the one piece of furniture a landlord can provide that a tenant cannot, and it changes how a bedroom photographs, how quickly it lets and what it lets for. This guide sets out the case, the specification that survives several tenancies, and the cost.
For landlords, in short
- Fitted storage lets a room faster and photographs as a finished bedroom rather than an empty one.
- A modest rent uplift and a shorter void between tenancies pay back a £1,800 to £3,000 wardrobe within the first few years.
- Specify for wear: super-matt or woodgrain vinyl, soft-close hinges, no gloss, no painted timber.
- Fitted furniture is fixed to the building and stays out of the inventory disputes that freestanding furniture invites.
- Bulk pricing applies across a portfolio or an HMO; trade terms are available.
The letting case
Letting agents will tell you the same thing: a bedroom with built-in storage lets before one without, and a listing photograph of a floor-to-ceiling wardrobe wall reads as a finished flat. Tenants compare on storage because London flats have none. A double bedroom with fitted wardrobes commands a modest premium over the identical room without, and, more valuable, it shortens the void. One fewer empty week a year on a London rent covers most of the annual cost of the wardrobe on its own; the worth-it guide sets out the sums for owners.
Specify for tenancies, not for a showroom
A landlord's wardrobe must survive five changes of tenant without a repaint. That means:
- Super-matt or woodgrain vinyl doors in a neutral: white, light grey, light oak. They hide fingerprints, wipe clean and do not chip. Avoid gloss and painted timber.
- Soft-close hinges and drawer runners rated for heavy use, so doors are never slammed.
- Sliding doors where the room is tight; they cannot be left open into a walkway or wrenched off their hinges.
- Simple interiors: double hanging, a shelf, a bank of drawers. Tenants bring their own boxes.
- Plain handles or handleless, so nothing works loose.
The finishes guide compares wear and cleaning.
HMOs, furnished lets and the inventory
In a house in multiple occupation each room is let separately, so each needs its own wardrobe and the storage is part of what the room is licensed and marketed on. Fitted furniture is fixed to the building; it is not an item on the inventory that a tenant can damage, move or dispute at check-out, and it is not something the landlord has to store between lets. For furnished lets it also sidesteps the fire-label requirements that apply to upholstered freestanding furniture. Where a property is sold, the wardrobes go with it and are reflected in the price.
Refurbishment timing
The best moment is the void between tenancies or a refurbishment: measure while the room is empty, install in one day, photograph the next. Design to installation is usually within 21 days, and our fitters work around decorators and electricians. For a portfolio, several flats can be surveyed in one visit and installed in sequence.
Maintenance and guarantee
Every wardrobe carries a 10-year guarantee on furniture and installation. Hinges and runners are the only moving parts and are replaceable in minutes. A tenant needs a microfibre cloth and nothing else; the care guide can be left in the welcome folder.
What landlords pay
Our factory-built Essential Collection, at £600 per unit including VAT with a minimum of three to four units, is designed for exactly this brief: a neutral, hard-wearing run at a portfolio price, so a three-unit wardrobe from £1,800. Made-to-measure wardrobes start from £900 per metre at Level 3 of our price guide. Trade and multi-property terms are set out on the trade page, and the price guide has every level.
Frequently asked questions
Do fitted wardrobes increase rent?
They command a modest premium over the same room without storage, and more usefully they shorten the void between tenancies, because a bedroom with built-in storage lets faster and photographs as a finished room.
What is the best wardrobe finish for a rental property?
Super-matt or woodgrain vinyl in a neutral colour, with soft-close hinges and plain or no handles. It hides fingerprints, wipes clean and does not chip. Avoid gloss and painted timber.
Are fitted wardrobes part of the inventory?
No. They are fixed to the building, so they are not an inventory item a tenant can move or dispute at check-out, and they do not need fire labels like upholstered freestanding furniture.
How much do landlord fitted wardrobes cost?
The factory-built Essential Collection is £600 per unit including VAT and delivery, minimum three to four units; made-to-measure wardrobes from £900 per metre. Trade terms apply across a portfolio.
Explore Metro
Ready to see what your room could hold?
Book a free home design visit. A Metro designer measures the room, brings full-size door and finish samples, and returns a 3D design with an itemised, fixed price within two to three days. No deposit is taken at the visit and there is no obligation. Or see every door style at our Wembley showroom, next to the workshop that makes them.
