Sources Sought Residential Furniture and Appliance Rental Services New York State

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE FOR MARKET-RESEARCH AND PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY. THIS NOTICE IS NOT A SOLICITATION, REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS, REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS, INVITATION FOR BIDS, OR AUTHORIZATION TO BEGIN PERFORMANCE. The Government does not intend to make an award based solely on responses to this notice or otherwise pay respondents for the information requested. Responses will be treated as information only and not as offers or proposals. Responses cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding agreement. This notice does not commit the Government to issue a future solicitation, use a particular acquisition or payment method, or make an award. The Government will not reimburse respondents for costs incurred in preparing or submitting a response. PURPOSE The Government is conducting market research to identify vendors capable of providing residential furniture, household-item, and appliance rental services within in Western New York. The potential requirement may include delivery, setup, installation, maintenance, repair, replacement, exchange, pickup, and removal of rented items from one or more privately owned residential homes. The residential homes would be leased and occupied by individual tenants under separate agreements with private landlords or property owners. The Government will not be the tenant, landlord, property owner, or property manager. The Government is seeking information regarding: Vendor capabilities Available furniture and appliance inventory Geographic service areas Standard and expedited delivery lead times Minimum rental periods Monthly extension options Commercial pricing structures Installation capabilities Maintenance and replacement procedures Ability to support multiple residential locations The number of residences, specific delivery addresses, exact quantities, furniture configurations, delivery dates, and rental periods have not been finalized. Specific residential addresses will not be included in this public notice. Delivery information would be provided only as necessary in connection with future written authorization. ANTICIPATED REQUIREMENT The Government may require complete or partial furniture and appliance packages for residential homes ranging from approximately one to four bedrooms. Anticipated rental periods may be approximately six months, with possible monthly extensions. Actual rental periods may vary by residential location. Individual requirements may be authorized at different times. Vendors should identify whether they can support staggered deliveries and pickups to multiple homes. Vendors are encouraged to respond even if they provide only furniture, only appliances, only household items, or only a portion of the anticipated requirement. POTENTIAL RENTAL ITEMS Potential rental items may include, but are not limited to, the following: Living Room Furniture Sofa or sectional Loveseat Accent chairs Coffee table End tables Table lamps or floor lamps Television stand or media console Additional seating, as needed Dining Furniture Dining table Dining chairs appropriate for the household size Bar stools or counter-height seating, when needed Bedroom Furniture Bed frames Headboards Mattresses Foundations or box springs Dressers or chests Nightstands Bedside lamps Additional bedroom storage, when needed Office and General Household Furniture Desks Desk chairs Bookcases Storage furniture Occasional tables Additional seating Other standard residential furnishings Electronics and Household Items Televisions Basic cookware Pots and pans Kitchen utensils Dishes Glasses and cups Flatware Bed linens Pillows Blankets Towels Shower curtains Basic household accessories Appliances Washing machines Electric or gas clothes dryers Refrigerators Freezers Electric or gas ranges Ovens Microwave ovens Dishwashers Portable air-conditioning units Dehumidifiers Other standard residential appliances Vendors should identify whether furniture and appliances are new, previously rented, refurbished, or a combination of these conditions. Vendors should also describe their cleaning, sanitation, inspection, and pest-prevention procedures, particularly for mattresses, upholstered furniture, and previously rented appliances. DELIVERY, SETUP, AND INSTALLATION Potential services may include: Delivery to residential locations within New York State Carry-in service Furniture assembly Furniture placement in designated rooms Appliance installation using existing compatible utility connections Provision of standard hoses, cords, vents, connectors, and similar installation components Verification that appliances are operational following installation Removal of delivery packaging and debris Preparation of a delivery inventory identifying all rented items Documentation of item condition at delivery Coordination of delivery dates and times with designated Government representatives and residential occupants Vendors should identify: Standard delivery lead time after written authorization Fastest available expedited-delivery lead time Availability of weekend or after-hours delivery Ability to support more than one residence at the same time Geographic limitations within New York State Minimum order requirements Minimum rental-period requirements Any additional charges for expedited delivery, difficult access, stairs, or extended travel RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY AND INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS The residential properties will be leased by individual tenants from private landlords or property owners. The Government will not be a party to the residential leases and cannot authorize alterations to privately owned property on behalf of a tenant, landlord, or property owner. Furniture delivery and appliance installation must comply with: The applicable residential lease Landlord or property-owner requirements Property-management rules Manufacturer installation instructions Existing property conditions Applicable federal, state, and local requirements Appliance installation should be limited to existing, compatible, and serviceable utility connections unless otherwise approved. Vendors should identify any required property conditions before delivery, including: Electrical voltage and outlet requirements Gas or electric appliance compatibility Water-supply connections Drainage requirements Dryer-vent requirements Appliance clearances Doorway and stairway dimensions Other access or installation limitations No drilling, structural alteration, cabinetry modification, permanent installation, electrical modification, plumbing modification, gas-line modification, venting modification, or other alteration to a residential property may be performed without: Any required prior written approval from the landlord, property owner, or authorized property manager; and Separate written Government authorization when the work would result in an additional charge or change to the approved services. Approval or direction from a tenant, occupant, landlord, property owner, property manager, or Government representative does not independently authorize additional charges to the Government. MAINTENANCE, REPAIR, AND REPLACEMENT Potential services during the rental period may include: Repair of defective furniture or appliances Replacement of defective or nonoperational items Replacement of items that become unusable through normal use Exchange of individual items when authorized Addition or removal of items when authorized Emergency or expedited service for essential appliances Telephone and email support for service requests Vendors should identify: Standard response time for service requests Emergency-response availability Replacement procedures for essential appliances Whether temporary replacement items are available Responsibility for ordinary wear and tear Damage-assessment procedures Charges for repair, replacement, or loss Any damage-waiver or insurance options Access for maintenance, repair, replacement, or pickup must be coordinated with the residential occupant. PICKUP AND REMOVAL At the end of the authorized rental period, services may include: Coordination of pickup dates and times Disconnection of appliances from existing utility connections Disassembly of furniture when necessary Removal of all rented furniture, appliances, and related components Removal of resulting packaging or debris Final inventory reconciliation Documentation of item condition at pickup Confirmation that appliance connections and delivery areas were left in a safe condition The vendor should identify required advance notice for pickup and any applicable early-pickup, extension, or cancellation charges. ANTICIPATED PAYMENT PROCESS The Government anticipates making direct payment to vendors for approved furniture, appliance, delivery, installation, maintenance, and removal costs after receipt of a properly supported invoice and verification that the authorized items or services were provided. The specific written authorization, invoicing, vendor-registration, and…