Furnished, upholstered or shell: what do these mean?

When browsing Dutch rental listings, you will often see homes described as furnished, upholstered, partially furnished or shell. The differences are not always obvious. This article clears them up once and for all.

A quick comparison

In short, furnished homes come with all the main furniture. Partially furnished homes include only some furniture. Upholstered homes have flooring but no furniture. Shell homes have neither, but still generally come with a kitchen and shower.

Shell homes

Many newcomers are shocked when they open Uprent and discover how many rental homes come with bare concrete floors.

A shell home (kaal) is handed over almost completely empty. It usually has no flooring, curtains, light fittings or furniture. Tenants lay their own laminate, then take it with them when they move or sell it to the next tenant. Generally, shell homes still have a basic kitchen and a bathroom. Some appliances may also be included.

This is most common in homes rented from housing associations (woningcorporaties). Shell homes are rare on the private rental market.

Furnished homes

A furnished home (gemeubileerd) comes with the main furniture needed for everyday life: typically a bed, sofa, dining table, chairs and wardrobes.

Appliances are included, but kitchenware depends on the home.

Partially furnished homes

There is no standard definition. It simply means that some furniture stays. That might be just a wardrobe and a dining table, or almost everything except a bed. Every home is different, so check what is included.

Unfurnished / upholstered homes

The Dutch term gestoffeerd is often translated as upholstered or unfurnished. We prefer unfurnished. In practice, it means the home has no furniture, but does have flooring, appliances and finished walls. Curtains and light fittings may also be included.