Furnished Rental + Household Items in SEA [All Inclusive]

Housing
By Gems Of Travel
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Rentals in Southeast Asia are fully furnished, usually always.  The cost is included in the rental price, so no hidden fees – nice and simple.

Some rentals are more furnished than others, while some are quite basic.  Many rental places will lend you extra household items for free if you request (extra fan, coffee mug, a broom, etc), so you do not need to carry these things around with you while traveling or nomading!

Tip

Be sure to request things when enquiring on a rental (extra fan, table/chair, hangers, coffee mug, a broom, etc)!

Anyway, here’s what furnishings you can expect a rental in SEA will include. Note: This does not touch on amenities such as a pool, gym, or working spaces.

Included Furnishings & Items

Expect all of these to be included for free in the rental price, so do not expect to pay extra.

Always includes

–

Bed

–

Sheets and pillow

Note

It happens rarely, but some landlords will try to “rent” you the bed sheets for an extra cost.  This is ridiculous, and you should not agree to paying more for this.  They are simply looking for ways to squeeze money out of you.

–

Private toilet and shower

Note

There are rare exceptions where there is a shared bathroom. So, make sure you get a private bathroom if you want that.

The bathroom of a fully furnished studio room rented monthly in Southeast Asia. The image shows a "wet bathroom", which is the style in Southeast Asia in which there is no divider between the shower and sink & toilet. The flooring is tile, and water from the shower can splash anywhere within the bathroom.
The bathroom of a furnished hotel room in Southeast Asia without a kitchen. It has a partial divider between the shower and toilet & sink area. A "wet bathroom" is the most common style in Southeast Asia in which there is no divider between the shower and sink & toilet. The flooring is tile, and water from the shower can splash anywhere within the bathroom.
The bathroom of a fully furnished hotel room in Southeast Asia. The image shows a "wet bathroom", which is the style in Southeast Asia in which there is no divider between the shower and sink & toilet. The flooring is tile, and water from the shower can splash anywhere within the bathroom.
An image of a toilet with a handheld bidet in Southeast Asia, which is very common in all homes and public restrooms. This bidet is nearly the exact same as a spray gun that is found on a kitchen sink in the USA.

–

Fan + Air conditioning

There are two types of hotels and studio room rentals – (1) fan room and (2) AC room. A “fan room” only includes an air fan. An “AC” (air conditioning) room includes AC and maybe also an air fan.

FANS : There are 2 types of fans – (1) portable floor fan (most preferrable) or (2) wall-mounted fan (less preferrable, but is okay).

Air Conditioning : Air conditioning units are split-duct style. Small rental will only have one split-duct air conditioning units. However, larger units rental units will usually will have multiple – one in each room.

A smaller-sized air fan. It is portable, so you can move it wherever you need to use it. Set it on the ground or on a desk. This brand is Hatari, which is a very reliable brand sold in Thailand and sold in neighboring Southeast Asia countries.
A furnished studio room rented monthly in Southeast Asia. The image shows the right-hand side wall of the room. This includes a queen-sized bed with all sheets, a floor fan to cool down, a split duct airconditioning unit, and nightstand. To the left - the back-side of the room- are large windows with curtains and a glass door opening to a balcony.
A split-duct air conditioning unit in a furnished housing in Southeast Asia. This one is mounted above a window in a family room. Small rental will only have one split-duct air conditioning units. However, larger units rental units will usually will have multiple - one in each room.
A bedroom with an large air fan, and a split-duct air conditioning unit in a furnished housing in Southeast Asia. This split-duct air conditioning unit is mounted on the wall close to the ceiling in a bedroom. Small rental will only have one split-duct air conditioning units. However, larger units rental units will usually will have multiple - one in each room.

Generally includes

–

Wardrobe or simple rack to hang clothes + hangers

Hang drying laundry at a rental in Southeast Asia. A metal clothes rack is provided to hand cloths on. This rack can be used to dry clothes outside, or to store/hang clothes inside the rental.
2 carry-on travel bags - one small and one medium sized - and a check-in luggage bag inside a hotel clothing and storage dresser. This picture conveys the different sizes of the bags.
A furnished studio room rented monthly in Southeast Asia. The image shows the front door, a storage wardrobe, a small desk with mirror and chair, and an entertainment center with storage, but nothing on it. The floor is tile, which is very common in Southeast Asia.
A furnished studio room rented monthly in Southeast Asia. The image shows how the tenant has a table with laptop on it and chair faced looking outside a window. The table is along the wall in front of the window. to the side of the desk is a small and wardrobe storage. To the other side is an airfan. The split-duct airconditioning unit is above the window. The image also shows the edge fo a twin-sized bed.
The wardrobe storage area that is building into the wall near the door entrance. This is within a furnished hotel room in Southeast Asia without a kitchen.
A furnished studio room rented monthly in Southeast Asia. The space is tight, but it is very well laid out and cozy. The image shows a bed with sheets, a small table pulled next to the bed with coffee on it, a split-duct airconditioning unit above the bed, a large wardrobe along one wall with extra shelving at it's side, and a full-sized mirror. Next is the front door, which is fully see-through glass, but has two sets of curtains - one that lets light in with some visibility, and another to block all light. The floor is tile, which is very common in Southeast Asia.
A fully furnished studio room rented monthly in Southeast Asia. The image shows a queen-sized bed with all sheets, a small round table, a wardrobe, shelf, table mounted to the wall, chairs, small kitchen & refigerator, and the bathroom door in the background. Not shown is the split-duct airconditioning unit. There is a window with curtains next to the bed.

Note

These range from a simple rack -> boxed wardrobe -> fully integrated cabinetry.

–

Table and chairs

–

Desk area

A furnished studio room rented monthly in Southeast Asia. The image shows how the tenant has a table with laptop on it and chair faced looking outside a window. There is a muslim prayer mat, which is fitting due to the location being Indonesia. The floor is tile, which is very common in Southeast Asia.
A furnished studio room rented monthly in Southeast Asia. The image shows how the tenant has a table with laptop on it and chair faced looking outside a window. The table is at the end of a queen size bed. On the other side of a bed is a window with opaque film on it making it impossible to see outside. The split-duct airconditioning unit is above the window. The image also shows an electrical meter, which is used to measure each the tenants electricity usage and calculate monthly electric fee based on it.
A furnished studio room rented monthly in Southeast Asia. The image shows the back side wall of the room. A window to the left, and to the right are large windows with curtains and a glass door opening to a balcony. The tenant has a setup in the middle of the room with a laptop on the small table, and a chair pulled up next to it facing outside, looking out the large windows.
A furnished one bedroom apartment that is rented monthly in Southeast Asia. This image is of the family room eqiupped with a small leather couch, small coffee table, and a window along the wall to the side. In front of the window is a desk with a chair with a laptop and coffee mug on it. A split-duct airconditioning unit above the window. The floor is tile, which is very common in Southeast Asia.

–

Water kettle

Use a water kettle for boiling water for drinking water and for brewing coffee/tea).

A water kettle. This is often, but not always, included with furnished housing in Southeast Asia.

–

Onsite laundry

Coin-operated laundry machine + place to hang-dry them if no dryer.

On-site laundry at a rental in Southeast Asia. There are no driers, only washing machines.
On-site laundry at a rental in Southeast Asia. Washing machines and driers are both available.
Hang drying laundry at a rental in Southeast Asia. A metal clothes rack is provided to hand cloths on. This rack can be used to dry clothes outside, or to store/hang clothes inside the rental.

–

Nearby laundromats

A laundromat with washing and drying machines in Southeast Asia. There are two desks that each have four chairs. People take off their shoes when entering. The laundromat is open-air on two sides. The other two sides have wall where the machines are mounted. There is a roof covering the building and entrance.
A laundromat with washing and drying machines in Southeast Asia. There are a few desks with chairs. Also, there is a well-padded massage chair for use. People take off their shoes when entering. The laundromat is open-air on two sides. The other two sides have wall where the machines are mounted. There is a roof covering the building and entrance.
A money-operate massage chair at a laundromat in Southeast Asia. It looks very comfortable.

–

Coffee mug

A coffee mug and a French press for brewing coffee on a table in an apartment. The coffee mug says "Home Sweet Home" on it. A french press has a glass tube (resembles a long cup), a plunger filter, handle, and a lid with an opening. Ground-up coffee beans are put inside the glass tube, hot water is added to brew the coffee, then the plunger attachment is put onto the glass tube. This attachment has a lid with a plunger going through it. The lid has an opening to pour the coffee into a coffee mug. After the coffee has finished breweing, the plunger is pushed downward throught the glass tube. It has a metal mesh filter on the end of it that pushes the ground coffee to the bottom of the glass tube, so that it does not get poured into a coffee mug. Drinking the grounds is not ideal. Therefore, the coffee grounds at the bottom are separated from the liquid coffee.

–

Broom to sweep  (fyi – only hard tile floors, no carpet in SEA)

A broom and dust pan. This is often, but not always, included with furnished housing in Southeast Asia.

–

Wi-Fi and password

A sign with the Wi-Fi password. This is often, but not always, included with furnished housing in Southeast Asia.

–

Nearby food  (often times does not show up on google maps)

–

Nearby shops to buy the essentials

A shop in Southeast Asia selling home goods. This includes hardware, garden, kitchen, and much more. This shop is a mom & pop shop (owner-operated).
A Seven Eleven convenience store in Southeast Asia with motorbike (scooter) parking on the sidewalk outside the entrance. There is seating and tables on the patio outside the store for relaxing.

Tip

When searching for a place to stay, do the “convenience store” test.

On Google Maps, type in “convenience store” and make sure that one is within walking distance to where you will be staying.  You do not want to be stuck without access to drinks, food, and basic needs.

One caveat is that there are many mom & pop places that are not on Google Maps – same goes for restaurants.

Might include

–

TV

An image showing a television on an entertainment center located in the family room of a furnished one bedroom apartment that is rented monthly in Southeast Asia. The floor is tile, which is very common in Southeast Asia.

–

AC (depending on choosing a fan room or AC room)

A split-duct air conditioning unit in a furnished housing in Southeast Asia. This one is mounted above a window in a family room. Small rental will only have one split-duct air conditioning units. However, larger units rental units will usually will have multiple - one in each room.

–

Hair dryer

–

Drinking water

A twenty liter jug of filtered water in Southeast Asia.
A water station providing clean water at a hotel.
A reverse osmosis machine for clean filtered water in Southeast Asia. This machine happens to be located in Thailand. The price is one Thai Baht for one liter.

–

Refrigerator

A refrigerator in a furnished rental in Southeast Asia. Compared to USA sizes, this is a medium-sized refrigerator. It is a top-mount, meaning the upper part is a freezer, and the bottom is a refrigerator. The freezer is on-thrid, and the refrigerator makes up two-thirds.
A furnished studio room rented monthly in Southeast Asia. The image is at the entrance of the room getting a view of the left-hand side of the room that has a small refrigerator, a small television, a small table and a chair. On the back-side wall, there is a window near the chair, and large windows with curtains and a glass door opening to a balcony. Not shown is the split-duct airconditioning unit.

Note

If you cook, then having a refrigerator is a must.  But most of the time, not having a refrigerator is not a big deal.

Why? Because, of the convenience culture – cooked food outside your door and walking distance to a convenience store.

Though, having a refrigerator would be convenient to have.  It is up to you if you wish to spend money using electricity.

–

Kitchen for cooking that is fully equipped with cookware

The kitchen area of a fully furnished hotel room in Southeast Asia. The image shows a toaster microwave, refrigerator, hot water kettle, stove and ventilation, and storage drawers with utensiles and pots & pans inside.
An image showing part of the kitchen in a furnished one bedroom apartment that is rented monthly in Southeast Asia. The kitchen is it's own, separate, room. In this kitchen area few things furnished by the apartment complex including a water boiling kettle, cups, a tray, and a hair dryer.

Tip

If cooking is a must for you, then portable stoves are a viable option.  These small stoves are fueled with gas canisters. Very common in Southeast Asia.

You can buy pots/pans and other cookware at mom & pop shops as you need them.  And, no need to buy them in a set, you can buy them in singles.

For about $30-40, at most, you should have a good cooking setup.

Great Idea!

Thinking out loud here: It may be better to rent a cheaper rental + buy your own stove, than to pay way more for a rental that includes the cooking furnishings – up to you.

A portable gas cooker for sale in a store in Southeast Asia. The gas canister is inserted on the side, and it's compartment takes up the length of the cooker. It has a stove with holders in all four corners to set pans ontop of. The holders are long, meaning they can hold different sizes (small or large) of pots or pans. It is about one and a half feet wide, two feet long, and five inches tall (61 cm by 61 cm by 2.5 cm).
A side view of a portable gas cooker for sale in a store in Southeast Asia. This image shows how tall the cooker and it's stove section is. The gas canister is inserted on the side, and it's compartment takes up the length of the cooker. It has a stove with holders in all four corners to set pans ontop of. The holders are long, meaning they can hold different sizes (small or large) of pots or pans. It is about one and a half feet wide, two feet long, and five inches tall (61 cm by 61 cm by 2.5 cm).
A close-up view of the on/off controll switch that controls the flame on a portable gas cooker for sale in a store in Southeast Asia. This on/off switch is variable - by twisting it between off and on, the strength (and thus heat) of the flame can be adjusted. When the switch is pointing to "ON" the flame will be at full-blast (i.e. the strongest and hotest) settting that the cooker can do. There is also a clamp to "Release or Lock" the gas canister into the stove cooker.

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