A landlord raises eyebrows after offering a “renovated” backyard shed for rent for 0 a week.
The cabin-like accommodation in the Melbourne suburb of Croydon was advertised on Facebook.
The barn looked a bit worn, despite claims to have been renovated, and contained a dingy bathroom.
Another special detail that stood out in the listing was the fact that the new tenant would have to share the shed with another person – despite its small size.
Social media users were stunned by the listing, wondering who would want to live there.
Dilapidated backyard shed advertised as ‘bungalow’ and offered for $300 rent a week draws scorn on social media
The dingy bathroom and laundry room are shared with another tenant, the ad said
‘Mmm. I can just smell the mold from here,” one wrote.
$350 a week [not month as the title says] for half of someone’s backyard asbestos shed. Quick, everyone! This dream home won’t last long,” a second added.
Another commenter wrote that the job posting was “depressing as hell.”
Photos of the shed showed a small, dingy shared bathroom and laundry room, with exterior shots showing thin, uninsulated walls with peeling paint.
The shared kitchen looked relatively modern and had been recently tiled and/or painted and advertised as having ‘all cooking facilities if needed’.
The new tenant would have to share the house with another person who already lives in the small shed.
The Barn in the Backyard is the latest outlandish rental listing to be offered to renters desperate for a room amid a housing crisis.
In February, a Sydney landlord advertised his enclosed high-rise balcony as a one-bedroom apartment for $300.
The strange advertisement read: ‘New, quiet and clean apartment. Next to World Square, just a five minute walk from Town Hall Station, China Town, UTS, Paddy’s Market, Coles and Woolworths.
“All bills included, fast NBN Wi-Fi and… basic cleaning and cooking supplies.”
The landlord then stated that the tenant had to stay in the cramped room for a minimum of four months, pay an $800 security deposit and a “$200 security deposit key.”
The kitchen appears to be the most refurbished part of the rental and, according to the ad, offers “all cooking amenities”
A Sydney landlord previously charged $300 a week for a balcony he converted into a makeshift “apartment.” (Pictured: the Facebook ad for the room)
Photos showed the landlord creating the “apartment” by using curtains and tarps to separate it from the rest of the unit.
In May, a realtor advertised a small parking garage for sale for ,000, suggesting that future owners could live in it.
The garage – or, as the listing put it, “a multi-use residential property” – was located below apartments in Lane Cove, on Sydney’s affluent North Shore.
At just 17 square metres, the brick-walled ‘property’ would fit well into a larger vehicle and is said to be unsuitable for the owner’s van.
Real estate agency Alex Haddad of Property Services Agency/EXP Australia, however, thought far beyond the fairly modest frameworks.
“It’s an enclosed garage with a window for natural light. The rest is up to your imagination, subject to required approvals, of course,” the entry read.
The ad boasted that the garage had an electrical outlet, even though it needed to be plugged into the mains, and came with a communal swimming pool for the new owner to enjoy.
This 17sqm garage on Sydney’s North Shore was listed for a whopping $88,000 in May, with an estate agent suggesting someone could live in it
“This property is conveniently located with communal toilets five meters around the corner,” the ad read.
‘This is by far the cheapest property on the North Shore I’ve seen in 30 years! Be quick! It’s a bargain!’
“It has no amenities, but the building does have communal toilets and one of the best things about the property is that it also has a swimming pool,” Haddad said.
“There are no shared showers, but with 24/7 gyms nearby that could be an option. Every buyer should do their due diligence.”