The right TV bed for a rented flat fits the room without any changes to the walls, runs from an ordinary plug socket, comes apart cleanly for the next move and sits comfortably alongside whatever furniture the landlord has already provided. Measure the room and the route in first, check the lift mechanism and screen limits, then choose an upholstery that copes with everyday life. Get those points right and the style decision becomes the easy part.
Renting changes how you buy a bed. You usually cannot drill into the wall to hang a television, you may be moving again within a year or two, and the bedroom is often smaller than the listing photos suggested. A TV bed answers several of those problems at once, because the screen lives inside the footboard and rises only when you want it. Our range of modern TV beds UK was put together with exactly these kinds of homes in mind.
Most tenancy agreements restrict what you can fix to the walls. Brackets leave holes, and filling and repainting them at the end of a tenancy can come out of your deposit. A TV bed removes the need for a bracket entirely. The television sits on a lift inside the foot end of the frame, so nothing is attached to the building and nothing needs making good when you leave.
There is also the question of floor space. A separate TV stand in a bedroom takes up room you could otherwise give to a wardrobe or a chest of drawers. When the screen folds away into the bed, the room reads as a bedroom again rather than a second lounge. That matters in flats with an open plan living area, where the bedroom is often the only quiet room you have.
Before you look at fabrics or headboards, measure the bedroom properly. Note the length and width of the floor, the position of the door and which way it swings, the location of radiators and where every plug socket sits. Renters often discover too late that the only sensible bed wall has a radiator halfway along it, or that the one socket in the room will be hidden behind the headboard.
A TV bed is usually longer than a standard bed with the same mattress size, because the footboard has to house the lift and the screen. Check the overall external length listed on the product, not just the mattress size. Then allow walking space at the foot end and along at least one side. You want enough room to walk past comfortably and to open wardrobe doors and drawers without catching the frame.
It helps to mark the footprint on the floor with masking tape. Seeing the outline in the actual room tells you far more than a set of numbers on a page, and it takes only a few minutes.
Flats bring their own access problems: narrow communal stairwells, tight landings, lifts with limited depth and internal doors that are slimmer than those in older houses. Most TV beds arrive flat packed in several boxes, which helps, but the footboard section containing the mechanism is often one of the larger and heavier pieces. Measure the narrowest point on the way to the bedroom and compare it with the box sizes where they are given.
If you live several floors up without a lift, think about who will carry the parts and assemble the frame. Some buildings also have rules about using the lift for deliveries or set hours when moving furniture is allowed, so it is worth checking with the managing agent before the day arrives.
The lift in a TV bed is powered, so the frame needs a socket within reach of the foot end or a route for the cable to run neatly along the floor. In rented bedrooms the sockets are often at the head end, where a bedside lamp would go. A good quality extension lead with surge protection, run along the skirting and under the bed, is usually the tidiest answer. Make sure the cable cannot be trapped by the frame or by the lift as it moves.
Look at the maximum screen size and weight the mechanism is designed to carry. These limits matter more than the width of the footboard. A television that exceeds them can strain the motor or fail to lower fully. Check the depth of the set too, since some screens with chunky backs or fixed stands will not sit flush inside the compartment.
Most lifts are operated by a handset or a switch on the frame. Think about where you will keep it, and whether your cables reach the aerial point or broadband router. A streaming stick can save you running an aerial lead across the floor, which is safer and neater in a small room.
A double is the usual choice for one or two people in a typical flat bedroom, and a king size gives more room if the space allows. If the bedroom is compact, a small double can be a sensible compromise for a single sleeper who still wants the convenience of a TV bed. Whatever size you choose, remember that the frame adds width and length beyond the mattress, so always measure from the outside edges.
Consider how the bed will sit with furniture already in the flat. Furnished lets often come with a wardrobe and a chest of drawers. If those pieces are staying, your bed has to work around them, and the clearance needed to open a hinged wardrobe door is easy to overlook until the bed is built.
Fabric and faux leather are the two main finishes for TV beds, and each has advantages for tenants.
Pick a colour that will sit happily in more than one flat. Soft greys, mink and charcoal tend to work with the white and magnolia walls common in rented properties, and with most carpet colours a landlord is likely to have chosen.
Rented flats rarely have enough cupboards. The foot end of a TV bed is taken up by the mechanism, so storage options are more limited than with a standard ottoman frame, but the space beneath a bed on legs can still hold low boxes for seasonal clothes or spare bedding.
You can also build an organised bedroom around the bed using pieces that will come with you when you move. Our wider collection of modern bedroom furniture UK includes freestanding designs that suit rented homes, because nothing needs fixing to the wall. A pair of compact bedside cabinets UK beside the headboard gives you a place for a lamp, a charger and a book, which matters when the TV handset is also competing for space.
A TV bed is only as comfortable as the mattress on it. Check the mattress depth the frame is designed for. A very deep mattress can sit awkwardly against the headboard, while a thin one can make the bed feel low. If you are replacing an old mattress at the same time, browse our mattresses UK sale range and match the size exactly to the frame.
For tenants who move often, a mattress that arrives rolled and boxed is easier to get up narrow stairs. A medium tension is a sensible starting point when two people with different preferences share the bed.
When you assemble the bed, keep every bolt, washer and the instruction leaflet in a labelled bag, then store it with your moving boxes. You will be glad of it on moving day. Taking photos as you build gives you a simple record to follow in reverse later.
Protect the landlord’s flooring with felt pads under the feet. On carpet, a bed rarely leaves lasting marks, but on laminate or wooden floors pads help prevent scratches when the frame is pulled out for cleaning.
If you are planning the rest of the flat too, our guide to TV unit ideas for UK rented flats looks at the living room side of the same challenge, from avoiding wall brackets to choosing pieces that travel well between homes.
You can explore the full bedroom range at Furniture in Fashion, where we offer free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes.
Generally not, because a TV bed is freestanding furniture and nothing is fixed to the walls. If the flat is let furnished and you plan to replace the landlord’s bed, agree beforehand where the existing bed will be stored.
Yes. TV beds are designed for home assembly, so they can be taken apart again. Keep the fixings and instructions together and take extra care with the lift section, which is usually the heaviest part.
It can, as long as you allow for the longer footboard. Measure the full external length and leave enough walking space at the foot end before you commit.
A surge protected extension lead, run neatly along the skirting board and under the frame, is a tidy and practical solution in most rented rooms.
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