The 5 Best Furniture Rental Companies of 2021

Settling into a new home is stressful enough on its own, from finding the right place and hauling your stuff to changing your mailing address. But furnishing the new digs can be more than just a hassle—the huge, upfront cost of purchasing furniture can easily break a budget.

Fortunately, plenty of companies offer furniture rental services, giving savvy consumers the option to enjoy a stylish new couch or outfit a temporary home office without handing over a large sum of cash all at once. These operations provide solutions not only for homeowners and renters but also for real estate professionals staging houses or hosting planning events. Check out these top furniture rental companies and see if renting might be right for you.

To choose the best furniture rental companies, we looked at the breadth and quality of services that each company offers for its fees and services. We considered how those services might fit into the life of an average consumer. CORT, one of the longest-standing furniture rental companies in the business, stood out for its variety of offerings—home and office furnishings, apartment hunting, relocation assistance, and more—as well as its commitment to sustainability and flexibility in rental length. Newcomer Feather, founded in 2017, offers month-to-month, single-item rentals alongside ongoing memberships, the latter of which caters to renters whose tastes change often or whose needs may shift due to rotating roommates or changes in address.

Another startup, Oliver Space, is already making a name for itself in the Bay Area with stylish, pre-set packages for the bedroom, dining room, or living area. Aaron’s, a large national chain, offers lease-to-own deals that generally run for about two years, catering to those who want to buy big pieces of furniture but don’t want to put too much money down or weigh themselves down with debt. While, companies like Brook Furniture Rentals will handle the whole decorating process for you in a few clicks, offering templates for varying budgets and tastes with options for color schemes and add-ons, too.

Each of these companies was transparent about the price structure, responded quickly and attentively to questions and requests, and offered a variety of options for different budgets, tastes, and living situations.

Furniture rental companies offer customers the option to outfit their homes without the upfront cost of purchasing expensive items like beds, couches, dining tables, or even appliances. Some rental companies offer short-term leases geared toward staging houses for sale or temporary sub-leases, while others cater to long-term leases or offer the option to apply monthly rental payments toward purchasing the items at the end of your lease term. Every company is different when it comes to pricing: Some, like Aaron’s, include delivery and setup with every furniture lease. Others, like Brook Furniture Rental, add a delivery fee to your first month. Many furniture rental companies also offer style and design services, which can be a big bonus for those selling a home themselves or styling a new space.

Many furniture rental companies specifically market their services to homeowners or realtors who are staging a house for sale, with short-term agreements and easy, whole-house packages that are designed to make a space appeal to buyers. But real estate agents aren’t the only target market for furniture rental companies: Many operations, especially newer ones like Feather, are perfect for roommates who aren’t quite ready to invest in large, long-term purchases together, or for renters who understand that their needs or space might change in the near future.

Military members or traveling medical personnel who often require flexibility and hassle-free setup might also consider renting furniture—plenty of companies specifically include clauses releasing military members from their leases in the event of an unexpected move. And rent-to-own agreements, like the ones offered by national chain Aaron’s, allow cash-strapped buyers to invest in new furniture pieces without the risk (or the interest payments) associated with using a credit card or layaway.

Furniture rental companies offer all kinds of home necessities for lease. Living room sets are popular, many are offered with a sofa, chair, table, and even smaller items, like lamps, that match a cohesive theme. Renters can also order bedroom sets—including mattresses, which many rental companies guarantee to arrive brand new, as well as wall decor, rugs, or nightstands. Don’t forget about electronics: Televisions, streaming players, and major appliances can all be rented for various amounts of time.