Would you stage a rental?

[thiswillbe]

We are in the final stages of moving out of our old house (thank goodness!!). We're planning to rent it out. Given its location, we could have students or we could have professionals as tenants in the future (so I'd like the listing to appeal to both crowds).

I'm wondering what to do about all the furniture we're not planning to take to the new house-- 2 couches, a coffee table or two, a kitchen table and chairs, a recliner, a wing back chair, etc. I see a couple options:
1) Craigslist it/donate it and list the house completely empty,
2) Keep the furniture long enough to take listing photos, then sell it,
3) Keep the furniture and offer it for the tenants' use (and sell whatever they don't want to keep).

Thoughts? Is "staging" a rental as important as staging a house? Does it matter if the furniture is OK, but clearly not oh-wow-brand-new-designer-stuff?

[wawa]

I think option 3 is the obvious answer. Especially if you might end up with students. Just make sure that any expectations about upkeep of this furniture is clearly spelled out. if you don't care if it gets destroyed...all the better.

[sierramist03]

3 but don't be offend if they don't want it.

[smiley]

I would say 3 as long as you aren't heart broken if the furniture gets destroyed in the end.

[thiswillbe]

Thanks, everyone. 3 it is. I won't be heartbroken if the furniture is destroyed-- we got a lot of good use out of those pieces, but don't need them any more.

Oh, and Merida: yes, I'd definitely prefer professionals, but really at this point I just want it RENTED (I've been carrying this empty house for over 6 months-- along with the new mortgage, of course-- and it's bleeding my savings dry!).

[pickel]

I staged mine when I initially rented it a couple of years ago and had an application in less than a week. This last year, no staging and it was about 3 weeks. I don't know if the staging made a difference but I don't think it hurt.