A ‘dystopian’ capsule apartment is being offered as a solution for Sydney residents who cannot find or afford even a small apartment due to the city’s housing crisis.
The pod-style space in the centre of Haymarket is for sale for $300 a week and is described as a “unique accommodation solution” for tenants looking for a “cost-effective, long-term housing option”.
The ‘state-of-the-art’ capsule, so small an adult has to crouch inside it, is located in the Space Q Capsule Hotel on George Street.
The photos show the capsules stacked on top of each other and just an arm’s length away from adjacent ‘rooms’.
According to the listing, the space comes with a single bed and a double bed, USB charging ports, a TV and a safe to store small personal items.
Tenants must use shared bathrooms, kitchens and living areas. There are also lockers to store personal belongings.
While the agent described the pod as ‘the next generation of fresh, affordable, long-term accommodation’, Sydney residents questioned whether it met ‘minimum living standards’.
“It’s a bit of an exaggeration to call it an apartment,” said one Facebook commenter.
A capsule apartment is being offered for rent for $300 a week in Sydney
The capsule is located in the Space Q Capsule Hotel on George St in Haymarket
Future tenants have access to a shared living area, kitchen and bathroom
“It’s fine for a night of cheap accommodation, but not really liveable in the long run,” wrote another.
After staying in the pod for just one night, one woman said it was “definitely not suitable for long-term use.”
“The pod was in a room with five other pods. Also, one of the showers in the bathroom wasn’t working and someone had thrown up in the other one,” she said.
PropTrack data shows that Sydney is the most expensive city in Australia to rent a home, with the average rent rising by more than $150 per week in the past year.
In March, the national vacancy rate fell to a historic low of 0.7 percent.