Charlotte Foster
Money & Banking

Desperate measures: Shed advertised as three-bedroom rental

As Australia’s housing crisis continues, prospective tenants have been left desperately searching for accommodation.

Some homeowners have taken the chance to exploit the anguish of renters by listing their own version of “budget” accommodation to make a few bucks on the side.

The latest makeshift housing solution comes from a landlord in Melbourne who has listed their garden shed a three-bedroom rental.

The homeowner claims the shed boasts enough room for three bedrooms and a bathroom, while photos of the “property” show a singular room, adorned with astroturf.

The listing, which is believed to have been shared on Facebook, was priced at $350 per month, with pictures showing one open-plan "room" with a large mattress shoved in one corner of the shed along with what appears to be a desk.

The walls have no form of insulation and pieces of wood can be seen balancing in the rafters overhead.

The Facebook listing was seen by an outraged man, who reposted the ad to a group which warns prospective renters about subpar rental properties.

He said he was left "speechless" by the advertisement, which he described as "sweatshop style accommodation".

"These sheds will be a sauna in summer, freezing in winter and attract all sorts of vermin. People will get severely sick. This should never, ever be an acceptable substitute for housing," he wrote.

"I feel like this has to be someone actually genuinely joking?" one person said.

"Disgusting, the nerve this person has," another raged.

The listing comes amid unprecedented pressure on the Australian rental market, with record-low vacancy rates pushing prices sky-high.

Tenants have little choice but to pay up, with the national vacancy rate at just 0.9 per cent.

Image credits: Facebook

Tags:
money & banking, property, shed, rental