What is Furniture as a Service and How It Benefits Your Business
Furniture as a service, or FaaS, is a subscription-based model where businesses can furnish a space without buying every piece outright.
Essentially, FaaS gives businesses, developers and workplaces a way to have furniture delivered, installed, maintained and collected when they’re done with it without high upfront costs or long-term commitment. It’s very practical for businesses who aren’t in a permanent space or growing fast.
If you think furniture as a service may be what you’re looking for, this guide will give you all the ins and outs of how it works. As Australia’s first 100% carbon-neutral, B Corp Certified furniture-as-a-service provider, Valiant Hire is here to help.
.png)
What is Furniture as a Service?
Instead of purchasing furniture outright, furniture-as-a-service lets businesses lease it on a subscription basis with a recurring fee. The provider still owns the furniture throughout the time it’s in the space, so fees often cover delivery, installation, maintenance, swaps and collection at the end of the agreement.
It’s a similar concept to having a lease or subscription for software, vehicles or equipment. Rather than owning it outright, the business pays to access what they need, for as long as they need it.
However, it differs from short-term furniture hire. While traditional furniture hire is often used for events, display spaces or temporary setups, furniture-as-a-service is built for longer-term use. It gives businesses flexibility as they scale, change or refresh their spaces.
For workplaces, commercial fitouts and property developments, commercial furniture leasing can save a lot of the muck around of buying, managing and working out what to do with furniture you no longer need.
How Furniture Works as a Service
Although every furniture as a service provider has their own process, how it works typically looks quite similar.
Discover
To start, the provider learns about the space, timeline, budget and how the business needs to use furniture.
Design
As part of the interior services, furniture can then be selected to suit the layout, purpose and how it will be used. This may include choosing furniture for workstations, seating, surfaces, storage, breakout areas or even full fitout packages.
Deliver and Install
With the furniture chosen, the provider then manages the delivery and installation so everything is set up and ready to use.
Change or Scale
As a business’s needs change, furniture can be added, removed, swapped or refreshed as their team grows, they relocate or their projects change.
Collect and Recirculate
At the end of the agreement or when the business no longer needs the furniture, the provider will collect the furniture and manage its next use by reusing, refurbishing or pursuing other circular pathways.
As the provider owns the furniture and manages the main furniture logistics, everything is handled for you. However, sometimes IT, fixed installations and art can be extra, so it’s always important to confirm what you need and what’s included early on.
.png)
The modern workplace is constantly evolving. Furniture as a Service gives organisations the flexibility to adapt without the financial commitment, operational burden or waste associated with purchasing furniture outright.
Key Benefits of Furniture as a Service for Your Business
Financial Flexibility — CAPEX to OPEX
CFOs are often very interested in the benefits of renting versus buying office furniture. Buying everything outright obviously comes with a high upfront cost. When you rent it, that cost is spread out and can even make relocating, expanding or changing a space happen sooner. It can help empower CFOs to come on board with changes earlier. There may even be some tax considerations, but it’s best to check with your accountant before you make any decisions.
Scalability and Adaptability
It’s rare to find an office space that doesn’t change from time to time. Teams grow, needs change and modifications to hybrid working conditions all impact the office itself. Furniture-as-a-service lets businesses adjust however they need without feeling stuck because of furniture. It’s very helpful for growing businesses, build-to-rent developers and workplaces that need furniture that better suits their needs.
Sustainability and the Circular Economy
Hiring furniture is a more sustainable approach to furnishing a business or workspace. Instead of buying furniture that ends up in landfill when a business changes, the products can stay in circulation longer by being reused, refurbished or used in other responsible end-of-life pathways. For example, Valiant Hire’s circular model includes 100% carbon-neutral deliveries, B Corp Certification and partnerships that support donation, refurbishment, recirculation and a more sustainable environment.
Expert-Curated, Hassle-Free Service
There’s also more to furnishing a business space than just finding the pieces themselves. You need to plan the layouts, choose pieces, figure out delivery windows and work out any changes after installation. Furniture-as-a-service gives you access to expert interior styling consultants, stylists, operations teams and account managers who look after the whole process, so you get the finished space without any of the actual work to get there.
.png)
Is Furniture as a Service Right for Your Business?
Many businesses benefit from furniture-as-a-service, but is office furniture leasing right for your operation?
Furniture-as-a-service is particularly well suited to:
• Growing businesses who need flexibility, such as startups and scale-ups.
• Commercial fit-outs and workplace refreshes.
• Property developers, build-to-rent operators and senior living providers.
• Education, training and short-term operational spaces.
If this sounds like you, our commercial leasing team at Valiant Hire can create a furniture package around your space, timeless and business needs.
| Frequently Asked Questions | |
|---|---|
| How is Furniture as a Service different from traditional furniture hire? | While traditional furniture hire is often used for shorter-term needs, such as events, display homes or pop-ups, furniture-as-a-service is usually designed for longer-term business use. It also often includes delivery, installation, collection and recirculation. |
| How long are typical Furniture as a Service contracts? | How long a typical furniture-as-a-service contract is set for depends on the business’s space, project and furniture needs. Some businesses need the furniture for a set period, such as for a lease, while others need a longer, or more flexible agreement. Many providers often have flexible, on-going terms. |
| What happens to the furniture at the end of a Furniture as a Service agreement? | At the end of a furniture as a service agreement, the provider will collect the furniture and decide on its next use. In Valiant’s circular model, this may include reuse, refurbishment, donation partnerships or recirculation into another project to create a sustainable environment. |
| What happens to the furniture at the end of a Furniture as a Service agreement? | At the end of a furniture as a service agreement, the provider will collect the furniture and decide on its next use. In Valiant’s circular model, this may include reuse, refurbishment, donation partnerships or recirculation into another project to create a sustainable environment. |
| Is Furniture as a Service tax-deductible for businesses? | Furniture as a service may have different tax or account treatment compared to buying furniture outright. It can depend on the business, agreement and how the furniture is used. It’s best to speak with an accountant about potential tax deductions. |
| Furnish Smarter with Valiant's Furniture as a Service | Valiant Hire helps businesses furnish workplaces, commercial spaces and property projects without needing to buy and manage furniture themselves. As a Certified B Corp and 100% carbon-neutral provider with more than 60 years of experience, we support businesses throughout Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. |
Speak with our team to create a tailored furniture-as-a-service package or start a commercial furniture leasing application.
.png)