Middle Road Furniture

Why doesn’t Middle Road Furniture supply irons in furnished properties?

It’s a question we’re often asked, and the decision comes down to risk management, maintenance realities, and safety.

Over time, irons commonly develop calcium build-up or internal corrosion if they’re not regularly maintained. This can:
• Mark or stain clothing
• Lead to inconsistent heating or steam issues
• Increase the likelihood of complaints and replacement costs

More importantly, irons themselves present a higher risk item in shared or furnished accommodation:
• Hot soleplates can easily damage carpets, benchtops, or furniture if left unattended
• Misuse increases the risk of burns and fire incidents
• Responsibility for damage is often unclear in multi-tenant settings

For these reasons, we strongly recommend that irons are not supplied as part of furnished properties.

To balance practicality, we do provide a shared ironing board in a common area, allowing tenants who own their own iron to use it safely and responsibly.

As with many details in property fit-outs, this approach helps reduce risk, protect assets, and avoid unnecessary disputes — benefiting both owners and tenants.

Happy New Year!

⚠️ PSA: Brisbane City Council Proposed Changes

Brisbane City Council is proposing major amendments to the City Plan that would restrict Rooming Accommodation — including removing kitchenettes from sharehouse suites and reducing fridge sizes, making it almost impossible for tenants to store or freeze their own food.

MRF will lodge a submission during the November 2025 consultation period, and we urge others to do the same.

These changes undermine tenant privacy, safety, and wellbeing, while doing nothing to improve affordability. At the same time, Council is proposing to remove granny flats and has made no progress on enabling townhouses, apartments, or duplexes — further limiting affordable housing options across the city.

Rooming homes provide dignity, security, and attainable housing in a safe, regulated framework. Yet Council continues to retrofit the planning code in ways that appear spiteful and unjustified, with no consultation from the very industry trying to deliver the affordable housing Brisbane desperately needs.

Major amendment package L Learn about Major amendment package L. Understand the proposed changes to City Plan and have your say.

📢 PSA: Desks in Rooming Builds

Stop automatically adding desks to rooming builds. Middle Road Furniture can provide them — but only when they’re truly appropriate.

Suites are already shrinking as investors push for economical builds. Our MRF packages already include a table with two dining chairs, which covers most needs. Adding a desk on top of that usually creates clutter, not value.

Think about the tenant:
• If I work from home, I might prefer a standing desk.
• If I’m a gamer, I probably don’t a small office chair.
• If I own a scooter or bike, I need floor space to store it.
• If I use a walker or wheelchair, that extra desk just gets in the way.

By forcing a desk into every room, you’re removing flexibility and reducing functionality. Less is more. Save the money, and let tenants decide how to use their space.

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✅ Smarter Upgrades for Rooming Houses
• Air fryers (included in our Deluxe Package)
• Stone benchtops
• Larger TVs
• Professional styling (ask about our service)
• Outdoor furniture (included in Complete & Deluxe Packages)

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💬 Want advice on maximising your rooming builds? Reach out to Middle Road Furniture any time — servicing QLD and VIC.

🛏️ Why Beds Matter Most in Investment Furnishing

When it comes to furnishing an investment property, the bed is the one piece you should never compromise on. That’s why our furniture packages prioritise high-quality, real timber beds — even though they take up more of the budget.

Why? Because:
✅ Quality beds last longer
✅ Happy tenants stay longer
✅ You’ll replace them less often
✅ Your property manager has fewer issues to deal with

Cheaper options like ensembles or metal frames might seem like a win at first, but they often cost more over time — in repairs, replacements, and tenant turnover.

And a quick tip: avoid beds with drawers. They rarely offer useful storage, break easily, and are often blocked by walls or carpet.

Invest well from the start, use Middle Road Furniture on your next investment property.

Our Deluxe package isn't just adding quality furniture, we create spaces for tenants to really call home. Light and Dark theme has long been debated - which is your favourite?

🏘 MRF know rooming houses! Take a look at these common spaces completed in the past few weeks.💡

How to furnish a rooming home common space? MRF focuses on two main ideas;

1. For the tenants to feel welcome in their home. But not so welcome that they make noise in this area. The biggest reason tenants leave a property is other tenants.

2. A space for the property managers to sit. They spend a lot of their life waiting for appointments, so we like to provide a furniture they can utilise. 😆

Why have a common space at all? The QDC defines the minimum specifications for a kitchen and BCC defines rooming accomodation from the Planning Regulations 2017 requiring each room to only contain "Limited Facilities". By providing a fully defined kitchen and laundry it creates a single discrete household.

Our three packages are designed to give investors a range of furniture to maximise their investment. Stand out with our Deluxe Package.

Middle Road Furniture is dedicated to the supply and install of quality furniture packages for investors wishing to enhance their property portfolio. With over 10 years experience in Brisbane's rooming house market, we know what your tenants need, to maximise your investment.

We offer three quality "middle of the road" packages that can be completed in a matter of days. Our simple and reliable team are ready to service your new and exisiting homes.