Ultimate Guide to Furnished Rooms: Costs, Benefits, and More

Despite bursting with opportunity and wonder, New York City is one of the most expensive cities to live in today. With so many people around the world dreaming of finding their way in the Big Apple, carving out your own little corner of the city can feel impossible on a limited budget.

But that’s where Roomrs comes in, a rental platform designed for traveling professionals and digital nomads. With our platform, finding furnished rooms in NYC has never been easier or more affordable. 

While you can find both furnished and unfurnished apartments on our site, furnished apartments are our bread and butter at Roomrs. It’s a style of living that makes a move to such a bustling city easier than ever, and it opens up a wide variety of locations, room sizes, and pricing options. 

What Is a Furnished Apartment?

Of course, you may be wondering, “What is a furnished apartment?” and “What does ‘fully furnished’ actually consist of?” Though the truth is that furnishings will always vary slightly from apartment to apartment, you can trust that whichever space you find with Roomrs will be equipped with all the essentials.

What Does “Furnished Apartment” Include?

Our rooms for rent feature bedroom essentials, such as beds and desks, as well as furnished shared spaces, which means you won’t have to worry about buying kitchen and living room necessities like a couch or basic appliances. 

Still, the question remains: What does “furnished apartment” include other than the essentials? Depending on the listing, you may find rooms for rent on Roomrs offering “extra furniture like dressers, bedside tables, TVs, and wall art. And depending on the building you’re renting in, you may be able to take advantage of additional amenities like on-site laundry, rooftop decks, and fitness centers. 

In 2026, many furnished rentals, including those on Roomrs, also come equipped with upgraded essentials like high-speed Wi-Fi, smart TVs, ergonomic workspaces, and modern energy-efficient appliances, reflecting the needs of remote workers and hybrid professionals.

Cost to Rent a Furnished Apartment

Just like unfurnished apartments, furnished apartments can range in price based on a variety of factors, such as:

• Location
• Overall apartment size
• Individual room size
• Shared vs. private bathroom
• Building amenities
• Extra furnishings available

On Roomrs, you can find furnished rooms in co-living apartments ranging from just above $1000 per month to over $2000 per month. Utility costs like electricity, water, gas, and Wi-Fi are built into the price of your Roomrs rental, so you won’t have to worry about additional expenses on top of the cost to rent a furnished apartment. 

As of 2026, average furnished room rentals across NYC trend between $1,300–$2,400 per month depending on the borough, with Brooklyn and Upper Manhattan offering more budget-friendly options compared to prime areas like Williamsburg or the East Village.
Additionally, fully furnished co-living spaces remain more cost-effective than renting an unfurnished studio, which often exceeds $3,200 per month in NYC’s 2026 market.

What Are the Benefits of Furnished Apartments?

As a renter, you may have never considered choosing a furnished place over an unfurnished one. However, the former might be the choice that not only makes living in the Big Apple affordable but everything you imagined. 

Here are some of the top benefits of furnished apartments and why you should consider searching for furnished rooms on Roomrs for your NYC move:

Easier Move-Ins and Move-Outs

When tenants are moving their furniture into apartments, move-in and move-out days require an excessive amount of work. Depending on how much furniture you own and how far away you’re moving, you will likely have to hire a moving company to haul your items between places.

With furnished apartments, you can save money on movers and precious time on transferring your stuff from place to place. As soon as you sign your agreement and choose a move-in day, you’ll be ready to enter and start enjoying the NYC lifestyle, hassle-free.

This is especially beneficial in 2026, as moving costs in NYC have risen due to labor and transportation surcharges, making no-furniture moves even more financially appealing.

Move On Your Timeline

Some of the listings on Roomrs are available for a specific amount of time or on a certain day, while others are available as soon as possible and rentable for as long as you need. With Roomrs’ furnished co-living apartments, you can enjoy the ease of moving free of bulky furniture while also finding your perfect apartment on a timeline that works for you.

Short-term and flexible leases, now in higher demand than ever, make Roomrs especially useful for students, interns, digital nomads, and hybrid employees rotating between cities.

Fewer Living Expenses

The costs of furniture, appliances, and other home goods can add up quickly, especially when you have to consistently replace them due to wear and tear or damage from consistent moves. Without the need to (re-) buy the essentials, you can free up more of your income to save or spend on things you love. And if you tend to move around frequently, you’ll be able to save hundreds per year on moving costs alone. 

With inflation impacting furniture and appliance prices through 2026, furnished apartments allow renters to avoid steep upfront costs that can exceed $2,000 just to outfit a basic bedroom and living space.

Lots of Ways to Personalize

Even though you won’t be supplying the essentials, you can still personalize your room with all kinds of finishing touches, from art and posters to shelves and meaningful trinkets. You’ll enjoy the benefits of having your own space to customize as you wish without the expense of investing in essential furniture pieces. 

Many renters now use peel-and-stick décor, modular shelving, and renter-friendly lighting to personalize furnished rooms without risking their security deposits.

Why Use Roomrs to Find Your Next NYC Apartment?

Out of all the room rental platforms out there, why choose Roomrs to find your ideal stay in New York? Our platform is easy to use and allows you to set multiple parameters for your search, quickly narrowing down your results according to your specifications. In doing so, you can find apartments for rent that align with your budget and location preferences without sifting through hundreds of options. 

Furthermore, Roomrs members understand that many students and working professionals can’t live their lives according to a traditional rental agreement timeline. All of them, therefore, list their rentals with the goal of supporting those with unique living needs.

Lastly, as a renter off the beaten path, you may have had some less-than-amazing experiences with freeform listing platforms like Craigslist. We take the freedom of tenant-led rental agreements and pair it with the safety and security of a thorough background-check system. You can trust that every member listing a stay on Roomrs has been vetted and verified for security. 

Roomrs has also expanded its inventory across additional NYC neighborhoods and introduced enhanced in-app support, streamlined digital lease signing, and improved roommate-matching tools—features designed to make your transition to the city smoother than ever.

Find Your Perfect NYC Stay on Roomrs

All of the opportunity and excitement of New York City await, and all you need to create a brand-new lifestyle is a high-quality furnished apartment from Roomrs. With so many options to choose from throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn, you’re sure to find the perfect place that suits your budget. Learn more about us and our mission today.