Mullumbimby caravan near Byron Bay shows Australia’s rental crisis has hit a new low

A caravan ‘shanty town’ in the bush with an exposed kitchen and living area has copped backlash after it was put up for rent for $400.

An image of two caravans ‘covered and protected from the weather’ by a roof and tarps in Mullumbimby in the Bryon Shire, NSW was posted on social media this week.

But some have lambasted the ad asking if the two-caravan set up ‘is even legal’.

The picture is a window into the rental crisis gripping the country, forced desperate tenants even in Australia’s regional towns to settle for living in a tent – because of soaring rents and a lack of housing supply.

Photos of the rental showed the outdoor ‘lounge area’ and kitchen in between the two caravans – with a tarp and roof as the only protection from the elements. 

The dwelling – since reduced to $350 a week – also includes an outdoor, roofless ‘hot water shower’.

Photos of the rental showed the outdoor ‘lounge area’ (pictured) and kitchen in between the two caravans – with a tarp and roof as the only protection from the elements

An image of the outdoor kitchen (pictured) showed what appears to be a gas stove with a variety of condiments on the shelves

‘We are looking for a nice and clean nature loving couple/single or two good friends to rent our caravans,’ the post read.  

It said the property is ‘surrounded by beautiful forest and nature’.

One of the brown caravans has an ‘in suite’ bathroom and shower while the other one has an ‘open space’ with a ‘very good bed mattress and TV’.

There’s an outdoor and indoor lounge and ‘fully equipped kitchen’, it said.

An image of the outdoor kitchen showed what appears to be a gas stove with a dirty tea towel hanging down over the handle and a variety of condiments on the shelves.

It also appears to have a large wooden pantry and timber cupboards with tarps hanging down behind – with carvings on some of the doors and a big fridge.

A lone cleaning spray sat on one of the wooden benches while a large pot and pan were seen stacked on a dishrack. 

‘It’s all covered and protected from the weather,’ the ad said of the lounge and kitchen space. 

The rental ‘rainwater property’ included Wi-fi in the price but did not say if it covers any other bills – it also added tenants were not allowed to have a pet dog.

The rental, captioned ‘2 caravan set up for rent’, was slammed by TikTokker Rach McQueen this week who called it a ‘shanty town’.

‘Is this even legal?’ a follower of hers asked. 

‘Whoa, I’m paying less for actual walls,’ another said. 

‘Sure for $100 pw but not $400… even questionable for $100,’ a third wrote, before the price was dropped.

But others lampooned the ‘shack’ with the lounge furniture and kitchen exposed to the bush. 

‘They forgot to add – must love spiders, mice and snakes… and mosquitoes,’ a commenter joked. 

‘My kids built a shack in the backyard out of branches, what do you think I can get for it? $250? $300? It has a hole in the ground,’ one parent asked.

‘Man I should be renting out my tent in my backyard at this stage,’ another joked. 

The rental ad comes as even those with jobs have been forced to pitch tents amid a shortage of affordable rental properties. 

A hardworking couple revealed last month the devastating reality of the crisis when they became homeless and were forced to live in a tent with ‘no choice’ but to send their kids away.

A tarp covers the outdoor lounge and kitchen area of the caravan home set-up (pictured)

The rental property also has an ‘outdoor amazing hot water shower’ in surrounding bushland

One of the brown caravans has a ‘very good bed mattress and TV’ inside (pictured)

It comes as the rental crisis has forced tenants even in Australia’s regional towns to settle for living in a tent – because of the high rents and lack of supply (pictured, one of the caravans)

Jen* and her husband, both 30, earn a healthy combined income of $100,000, but it hasn’t been enough to keep a roof over their heads or their family together.

The parents from Gold Coast told FEMAIL they have applied for 70 properties in the city and nearby Tweed Heads over the last four months without success.

Meanwhile, according to SQM research, rent prices further south in Sydney have risen 25.2 per cent in the 12 months leading up to last April. 

In Melbourne they had risen by 21.9 per cent, in Brisbane 20.8 per cent and in Perth by 16.3 per cent, during the same time.

Real estate research firm Proptrack confirmed rentals in Sydney for under $400 a week have hit record lows – plunging from 21 per cent of all rentals to just 9 per cent between 2020 and 2023.