also called part-furnished
A rental that comes with some furnishings but not a full set, though exactly what is included varies by country and landlord.
Semi-furnished means the place comes with some furniture but not the full kit, and what is actually included swings wildly by country and by landlord. It sits between a furnished rental you can just move into and a bare one; the word alone tells you almost nothing. In one market it means appliances but no furniture, in another the exact reverse, which is why the written inventory matters more than the label.
You rent a semi-furnished apartment picturing a bed and a sofa waiting for you, and arrive to find kitchen appliances but not a single stick of furniture. Nobody lied to you; the label just means something different here, and you are buying a bed on your first night because you trusted the word instead of asking for an itemised list.
In one market semi-furnished means white goods but no furniture, in another it means the opposite, so the word alone tells you little. Arriving to find no bed or no fridge is a common shock, which is why the inventory list matters more than the label.
The difference is the whole point, so here is each one in a line.
These grade what comes with the place.
A furnished rental includes furniture and often basics, semi-furnished has some but not a full set, with exactly what varies by country, and an unfurnished rental may have almost nothing, sometimes missing even kitchens or light fixtures.
A serviced apartment goes further the other way, adding hotel-like services such as cleaning and flexible booking.
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