Life & home
What to buy and do for your first rental apartment
Set up your first rental home in stages. Start with sleep, meals and washing, then add cleaning supplies and the remaining household basics.
The checklist
- Bed and mattress
- Sheets, pillow and duvet
- Bath and hand towels
+ 42 more explained items
Your first apartment does not need to be fully furnished on moving day. It needs a usable bed, a bathroom you can use immediately, a way to eat, and enough light to unpack safely. Before shopping, walk through the rooms with the inventory and mark each item as provided, already owned, borrowed or missing. A furnished apartment may need very little; an empty one needs delivery planning before decoration.
Treat setup as three stages: the first night, the first week, and purchases after you have lived there. Put bedding, towels, toilet paper, soap, chargers and a simple meal in an accessible box. During the first week, organise cooking, laundry, cleaning and bills. Leave matching storage, guest dishes, rugs, extra appliances and decorative furniture until actual use shows what is missing. Reserve space in your budget for unresolved essentials and delivery rather than spending it all on a coordinated room.
The checklist runs buy → take → do. Buy means missing supplies, take means useful things you already have, and do covers the checks that make the move work. The order of these sections is not a timetable: complete the pre-move tasks before ordering large items. Measure rooms, doorways, lift access and the existing mattress before buying. Share the list with anyone moving with you and agree who owns shared purchases. This is a practical setup guide for any season; rental duties, fire arrangements, waste rules and utility procedures must be checked for your own country, building and contract.
Who this list is for
For one adult or a couple setting up a first rental apartment, furnished or unfurnished. Start with existing belongings and the landlord’s inventory; buy only the missing essentials.
Tips
Shop for routines, not an imagined home
Write down a normal morning, dinner and laundry day. Choose items that let you complete those routines, using what is already supplied. Start with dishes for the residents and cookware for meals you actually make. Keep a separate later list for occasional needs. Borrow something used rarely.
Check the home before covering it with boxes
At handover, check water, heating, doors and visible electrical faults, and ask how to report problems. England’s GOV.UK guide supports these practical checks and keeping written repair reports. Its legal rules apply locally. Record the condition before unpacking; ask your own housing authority or tenant service about responsibilities rather than assuming that every repair belongs to the tenant.
Confirm alarm arrangements before the first night
Check with the landlord and local fire service which smoke and carbon monoxide alarms the apartment needs and who maintains them. Follow alarm instructions; USFA recommends monthly smoke-alarm testing. Report missing or faulty equipment promptly. Do not disable an alarm for cooking. Learn the building’s fire instructions and keep exits clear of moving boxes.
Keep the cleaning kit small
CDC distinguishes ordinary cleaning from disinfecting. Start with a surface-compatible detergent and washable cloths; use product labels to guide safe use. Disinfect when needed, rather than buying a specialist product for every room. Never mix cleaning chemicals. Choose separate cloths for bathroom and kitchen work, and give supplies a storage place away from children and pets.
Find where moisture goes
EPA identifies moisture control as central to preventing mould. Report leaks, dry spills and use the provided ventilation. Check how bathroom extraction and the cooker hood work. Give wet towels and laundry a place to dry. A scented spray or new paint cannot resolve a continuing leak; ask for the cause to be addressed.
Clarify bills before choosing a supplier
List electricity, heating, water and internet, then ask who pays each bill and whether any are included in rent. Ofgem’s Great Britain guidance advises checking the rental agreement and current supplier. Arrangements elsewhere differ. Keep dated meter photographs where meters are accessible, confirm account instructions with the provider, and avoid ordering services already covered by the building.
Measure before buying the second wave
Use the first week to notice where you eat, work, charge devices and leave coats. Measure those places and the delivery route. A small table with a usable chair may solve more than several storage units. Check fixing permissions before ordering wall-mounted shelves or curtains. Choose each extra item for a specific recurring problem.
The checklist
45 items, grouped like in the Cartdock app.
Print this page to tick items off on paper: the printout keeps only the checklist, with a box before every item.
Buy
Sleep and bathroom: buy only what is missing
- Bed and mattress — Check the inventory, room size and delivery route; buy only if absent.
- Sheets, pillow and duvet — Match the mattress size and your sleeping preferences.
- Bath and hand towels — Choose enough to use while another set is washing.
- Shower curtain and fittings — Only for a shower needing them; measure and check the fixing method.
- Toilet paper — Keep the first supply in the arrival box.
- Hand soap — Make handwashing possible immediately.
- Toilet brush — Choose a holder suitable for the bathroom floor space.
- Toilet plunger — Check the toilet type and keep it accessible for minor blockages.
A small working kitchen
- Plate, bowl and drinking cup — Start with a place setting for each resident rather than a guest set.
- Cutlery — Choose a basic set for everyday meals.
- Saucepan with lid — Check hob compatibility and choose a size for your usual meals.
- Frying pan — Check hob compatibility; skip if your cooking does not need it.
- Kitchen knife and chopping board — Choose a comfortable knife and a board that fits the counter.
- Cooking spoon or spatula — Match the utensil to the cookware surface.
- Can opener — Only if your usual food comes in cans needing one.
- Food containers — Start with compact containers for leftovers, not a full storage system.
- Dishwashing liquid and sponge — Even with a dishwasher, allow for washing individual items.
- Tea towels — Choose washable towels and give them a drying place.
Cleaning and laundry
- Rubbish bags — Check the bins and local sorting arrangements before choosing sizes.
- Surface-compatible cleaner — Read labels for the surfaces you need to clean.
- Cleaning cloths and gloves — Separate kitchen and bathroom cloths; choose gloves as labels require.
- Broom and dustpan or vacuum — Choose for the actual flooring; borrow equipment if practical.
- Mop and bucket — Only if the flooring permits wet cleaning.
- Laundry detergent — Choose for your laundry arrangement and follow dosing instructions.
- Drying rack — Only if needed; measure a place that does not block passage.
Food for arrival
- An easy first meal — Choose food you can prepare with the appliances already available.
- Breakfast ingredients — Buy a modest supply suited to your storage and dietary needs.
Take along
An accessible arrival box
- Keys and tenancy documents — Keep the inventory and handover details with the keys.
- Phone and compatible charger — Charge before the move and save important contacts.
- Personal toiletries and medication — Keep your usual supplies accessible rather than in the moving van.
- Existing towels and bedding — Pack clean items together and label the box for immediate use.
- Tape measure and basic hand tools — Use for measuring and approved furniture assembly, not appliance repairs.
- Reusable bag and water bottle — Keep useful everyday belongings out of the sealed boxes.
To do
Before moving: confirm and measure
- Check the inventory and shared purchases — Mark supplied, owned and missing items; agree ownership with housemates.
- Measure rooms and delivery access — Check doors, stairs, lift and mattress dimensions before ordering.
- Confirm handover, deliveries and building rules — Ask about access, quiet hours, waste sorting and permitted fittings.
- Confirm utility and internet arrangements — Check included services, providers and who must open each account.
At handover: record and check
- Photograph condition and accessible meters — Keep dated records and agree any inventory corrections in writing.
- Check water, heating and supplied appliances — Ask for operating instructions and report faults through the agreed channel.
- Verify alarms and building fire instructions — Check local requirements and maintenance responsibilities; keep exits clear.
- Locate shut-offs and emergency contacts — Ask how to respond safely and save local emergency and repair contacts.
First week: make daily life work
- Clean essentials and set up the bed — Prioritise bathroom, food preparation surfaces and a usable sleeping place.
- Organise laundry and ventilation — Learn controls and arrange drying without blocking vents or walkways.
- Set up confirmed accounts and address updates — Use provider instructions; check local registration and insurance needs.
- Review the later shopping list — Buy extras only for repeated needs after measuring their intended space.
Questions and answers
What should be ready for the first night?
Have your bed and bedding ready, plus towels, toilet paper, soap, personal toiletries, needed medication, a charger and an easy meal. Keep keys and handover contacts accessible. Make the bed before opening nonessential boxes. If furniture delivery is later, arrange a suitable temporary sleeping option in advance rather than hoping it arrives on moving day.
Should I buy every item on this list?
No. Remove items supplied with the rental, things you already own, and anything irrelevant to your routines. A shower curtain is only useful for a shower that needs one. A drying rack is unnecessary if another suitable drying arrangement is available. Start with residents’ needs, then add guest or hobby equipment when you actually use it.
Do I need to buy alarms or repair supplied appliances?
First confirm local requirements, the inventory and landlord responsibilities. Ask for missing or faulty equipment to be addressed, and get approval before altering supplied fixtures. The cited housing guide concerns England and does not establish rules for other countries. Use your local housing authority and fire service for current requirements, and arrange qualified help for electrical or gas work.
What can wait until after the first week?
Guest bedding, matching dishes, decorative lights, rugs, extra kitchen gadgets and large storage systems can usually wait. Keep a running note of small problems instead of immediately shopping for each one. At the end of the week, combine the repeated needs into a shorter list.
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