Picture your tenant on their third evening. They have unpacked, cooked their first proper meal, joined two video calls from the desk by the window, and put on their first load of washing. They are not on holiday anymore. They live in your apartment. That is the difference between furnishing for a weekend guest and furnishing for someone who stays one to twelve months. A holiday guest forgives a blunt knife and a wobbly chair for two nights. A monthly tenant notices them every day, and those small things decide whether they extend, leave a good review or book somewhere else next time. To make this practical, we looked at what the furnished homes currently live on roam&root include, and at what tenants filter for when they search. Here is the baseline you need, where you can stand out, and what you can skip. The Standard Every Home Starts From Every home on roam&root comes with four move-in ready essentials as standard: Wi-Fi, bed linen, towels and cooking basics. On top of that, most live listings in Cape Town also have a kettle, microwave, iron, toaster, oven, TV and freezer. Treat all of these as the baseline: tenants assume they are there. Where homes differ is everything else. This is how often the items that set a home apart appear across the 150 furnished homes live on roam&root in October 2026: | Amenity | Share of live listings | |---|---| | Washing machine | 75% | | Dedicated workspace | 74% | | Heater | 67% | | Parking | 66% | | Air conditioning | 54% | | Dishwasher | 45% | | Backup power | 22% | | Pet-friendly | 15% | The lower an item sits in this table, the more it helps your home stand out, especially when it is something tenants actively search for. What Tenants Actually Filter For When tenants on roam&root narrow their search by amenities, three filters come up again and again: - Pet-friendly is the amenity tenants filter for most, yet only around 1 in 7 live homes allow pets. If you can accept a well-behaved dog or cat, you are competing in a much smaller pool. - Washing machine is the second most used filter. A quarter of listings still do not have one, and for a stay of several months it is close to a dealbreaker. - Parking, air conditioning, a dedicated workspace and backup power follow behind. The pattern is clear. Monthly tenants filter for the things that make daily life work, not for luxuries. The Checklist, Room by Room Bedroom - A good mattress with a mattress protector. This is the single biggest comfort upgrade and the first thing tenants mention in reviews. - Two sets of bed linen per bed, so one can be washed while the other is in use - Duvet suited to the season, plus a lighter one or a blanket for summer - Enough pillows, ideally a firm and a soft option - Blackout curtains or blinds - An empty wardrobe with plenty of hangers, and a few empty drawers. Monthly tenants arrive with suitcases, not a weekend bag - Bedside lamps and a plug point within reach of the bed Bathroom - At least two bath towels and one hand towel per guest - Hair dryer - A shower that works well. Check the water pressure and how long hot water lasts - A bathroom bin, toilet brush and a starter supply of toilet paper and soap Kitchen Your tenant will cook here most days, so equip it like a home, not a holiday flat. - The baseline: fridge with a freezer, oven or stove, microwave, kettle and toaster - A proper set of pots and pans, including one large pot - At least one sharp chef's knife, a bread knife and a cutting board - Plates, bowls, glasses, mugs and cutlery for at least four, even for one tenant - Baking tray, mixing bowl, sieve, grater, can opener and corkscrew - Storage containers for leftovers - A coffee maker. Many tenants care more about it than about the TV - A dishwasher is a strong extra for longer stays, and fewer than half of listings have one Work Setup With so many remote workers among monthly tenants, the workspace deserves real attention. About 74% of live listings offer a dedicated workspace, so without one you are at a clear disadvantage. - A real desk, not the dining table, at a comfortable height - An ergonomic chair. A kitchen chair for eight hours a day is the fastest way to a bad review - Good light, ideally natural light plus a desk lamp - Plug points or an extension lead at the desk - Plug adapters. Many tenants come from Europe, the UK or the US, and their chargers will not fit South Africa's large round three-pin sockets. A few sockets or multi-plugs that take the two-pin European plug, plus a couple of adapters left in a drawer, save every new tenant a trip to the shops on day one - Fast, reliable Wi-Fi. Fibre is the standard in most of Cape Town. Put the router somewhere central, and note the speed in your listing Laundry and Cleaning - Washing machine, plus a drying rack, or a dryer if there is no outdoor space - Iron and ironing board - Vacuum cleaner, mop and bucket, broom and dustpan - A starter set of cleaning products If you offer regular cleaning during the stay, say how often in your listing. It matters to many tenants staying longer than a month. Living Area - A comfortable sofa that two people can sit on for an evening - TV with streaming access, or a smart TV the tenant can log into with their own accounts - Enough seating at the dining table for at least two - Lamps for evening light, not only a ceiling light Comfort Through the Seasons Cape Town winters are cooler and damper than most visitors expect, and many older buildings have no central heating. A tenant arriving in June will notice this in the first week. - Heater: 67% of listings have one. For winter stays it is essential, and an oil heater is safer than a bar heater - Air conditioning or a fan: 54% of listings have air conditioning. Summer heat inland and in the City Bowl can be intense, so at least provide a good fan - Warm duvets and extra blankets from May to September Electricity: Decide How It Is Covered Air conditioning, heaters and a tumble dryer use a lot of power, so think about electricity before you set your price. On roam&root, every home has one monthly price that already includes water and Wi-Fi. If your property has a prepaid electricity meter, you choose one of three options for electricity: - Included: electricity is part of the monthly price. Simplest for tenants, and the most attractive option, but price it in if the home has air conditioning - Monthly allowance: your price covers electricity up to a set amount each month, and the tenant tops up the meter beyond that. A good balance for homes with air conditioning or heating, as it protects you from very high usage - Tenant pays: the tenant buys their own prepaid electricity. Your monthly price is lower, but the tenant has to budget for it separately Whichever you choose, it is shown clearly on your listing before anyone books, so tenants know exactly what they are paying for and there are no surprises at the end of the month. Power, Safety and Peace of Mind - Backup power: only 22% of listings offer an inverter or backup battery, and it remains one of the filters tenants use. Even a small inverter that keeps the Wi-Fi router and some lights on is valued by remote workers - Smoke alarm: only 56% of listings list one. It is inexpensive, quick to install and an easy way to show you take safety seriously - A safe for passports and laptops (51% of listings) - Clear information about building access, alarm codes and what to do in an emergency What You Can Skip Monthly tenants do not need a holiday experience. You can safely leave out: - Lots of decorative items and ornaments. They get in the way of tenants making the space their own - Single-use toiletries and welcome hampers beyond the first few days - Board games, novelty items and extra gadgets. Only around a third of listings have board games, and nobody chooses a home for them - Your own belongings. Clear out cupboards and personal items completely. If you need somewhere to keep them, the storage partners in our host services directory offer monthly units Before Your First Tenant Moves In 1. Photograph and list everything. A simple inventory with photos makes check-in and check-out quick and avoids disputes about what was there. 2. Test everything. Run the oven, washing machine, shower, Wi-Fi and every light. Small fixes are easier before someone moves in. Our host services directory lists handyman services if you need help. 3. Leave a house guide. Wi-Fi details, appliance instructions, bin day, building rules and your contact details. On roam&root you can create a welcome book for each listing. 4. Update your listing. Tenants filter by amenities, so every item you provide should be ticked on your listing. A washing machine you forgot to add is invisible to every tenant who filters for one. For more on making your listing stand out, read our guide on how to create a listing that actually gets booked. If you are still deciding whether monthly stays suit your property, our comparison of Airbnb and monthly rentals in Cape Town covers the trade-offs. Ready to Welcome Monthly Tenants? A well-furnished home attracts better tenants, earns better reviews and gets rebooked. roam&root connects Cape Town hosts with remote workers, relocators and professionals looking for furnished stays of one month or longer, and listing your home is free. Frequently Asked Questions What should a furnished apartment include for monthly tenants? Every home on roam&root comes with Wi-Fi, bed linen, towels and cooking basics as standard. On top of that, tenants expect a comfortable bed, a fully equipped kitchen with fridge, freezer, oven, microwave and kettle, and basic cleaning supplies. For stays of several months, a washing machine and a proper workspace are close to essential. Do I need a washing machine to rent to monthly tenants? It is strongly recommended. A washing machine is the second most used amenity filter on roam&root, and about three quarters of live listings already have one. Without it, you will miss many tenants staying longer than a few weeks. Should I allow pets in my rental? If your property and building rules allow it, it can be a real advantage. Pet-friendly is the most filtered amenity on roam&root, but only around 15% of live homes accept pets, so pet owners have far fewer options to choose from. Is a dedicated workspace really necessary? For most monthly tenants, yes. Many are remote workers who work from home every day. About 74% of live listings on roam&root offer a dedicated workspace, so a proper desk and an ergonomic chair are now expected rather than a bonus. What is the difference between furnishing for Airbnb guests and monthly tenants? Holiday guests need a pleasant stay for a few nights. Monthly tenants live in the space, so they need practical things: a well-equipped kitchen, laundry, storage space, a good workspace and comfort through changing seasons. Decoration matters less, function matters more. Should electricity be included in the rent? It is up to you. With a prepaid meter you can include electricity, cover a monthly allowance and let the tenant top up beyond it, or have the tenant pay for all of it. If your home has air conditioning, a monthly allowance is often the fairest balance. Do I need backup power for my rental? It is not essential, but it is valued by remote workers. Only about 22% of live listings on roam&root offer backup power, so even a small inverter that keeps the Wi-Fi and lights running can set your home apart. How do I make sure tenants can find my amenities? Tick every amenity you provide when you create or edit your listing. Tenants on roam&root filter by amenities, so anything that is not listed will not show up in their search.