A grim ‘studio apartment’ is being advertised for $400 per week despite being smaller than a single-inmate prison cell, in another sign of Australia’s dire rental situation.
The one-bedroom unit listing from real estate agent Belle Property boasts the Redfern property in inner Sydney is an ‘urban-style’ dwelling with a ‘great-sized courtyard’, ‘loft-style sleeping area’, has a ‘portable oven’ and ‘natural sunlight’.
The photos show a small bare unfurnished kitchen area and a tiny bathroom with the ‘loft-style’ sleeping area only evident from a ratty looking ladder to climb into it.
There is no apparent sign of the portable oven or even of a window to let in the ‘natural light’.
It comes as Australia’s rental vacancy rate sits at the record low of 0.8 per cent, which is causing prices to surge.
Rach McQueen, who runs the popular TikTok channel ‘Real estate with Rachel’ used the ad’s floorplan to calculate the apartment’s total space at only 6sqm.
This single-bedroom listing for a ‘studio apartment’ in inner Sydney has attracted scorn online
This compares unfavourably to the recommended size for a single-inmate prison cell in Australia, which is 8.75sqm.
‘So, prison cells are bigger and yet in a prison cell you don’t need to have space for storage or to cook and prison is free b****, this is $400 a week,’ Ms McQueen concludes about the apartment she captions as ‘Sydney prison cell’.
‘I hope that gives you an idea for how uncomfortable it would be for two people to share the rent in a place like this.’
She notes the kitchen area, which she labels a ‘bitchen’, appears to be almost all of the ‘apartment’.
‘This entire space here is your kitchen, living and dining area and your bedroom is up the ladder,’ she says.
‘They they’ve gone from calling it a studio to a one-bedroom apartment but then they also say there’ a loft style sleeping area and unfortunately these are becoming more and more common.’
In the comments section, Ms McQueen said was disappointed not to be shown the sleeping area.
TikToker Rach McQueen (pictured) noted that the listed property was less spacious than the recommended prison cell
During her virtual inspection Ms McMcQueen noted the tiny bathroom is connected to the main space and that constitutes the only two rooms of the apartment
‘The fact they didn’t include a photo does not fill me with hope for that space,’ she writes.
Ms McQueen notes if the agent only accepted potential renters whose income was two thirds above the asking price, as is recommended, ‘theoretically you would have to earn over $1300 a week to be approved for this place’.
‘Renters should stop complaining and having such high standards, just work harder,’ she writes in a sarcastic caption.
‘Expecting to live in something bigger than a prison cell for $400 per week is entitled.
‘Renters don’t deserve better conditions than prisoners, they are prisoners right? To capitalism.’
Ms McQueen told Seven news she believes the property is actually a ‘kitchenette in the rear of a shopfront that’s been converted to a ‘unit’.’
Those commenting on the video shared Ms McQueen’s disgust and despair.
‘That is appalling and embarrassing, how has the government failed us so badly that renting is worse than prison,’ one said.
‘In this economy I think I’d rather a prison cell,’ said another.
Renters are growing incensed at the ramshackle and near unlivable places being advertised weekly for eye-watering prices.
A dilapidated backyard shed being advertised as ‘bungalow’ and being offered for $300 rent per week is attracting scorn on social media
The grungy bathroom and laundry area will be shared with another tenant, the listing says
On Thursday a landlord raised eyebrows after listing a ‘renovated’ backyard shed for rent for $350 a week.
The shack-like accommodation in the eastern Melbourne suburb of Croydon was advertised on Facebook.
The shed appeared a little worse for wear, despite the claims it had been renovated, and contained a grimy-looking bathroom.
Another particular detail that stuck out in the listing was the fact the new tenant would have to share the shed with another person – despite its tiny size.
Social media users were left stunned by the listing, and questioned who would want to live in it.
In May a listed apartment in central Melbourne also received the unflattering description of being ‘prison cell’, even though it had the asking price of $320 a week.
The bare cinder block-walled bedroom could barely fit a queen-sized bed and the rest of the apartment was equally claustrophobic.
A tiny studio that has been dubbed a ‘prison cell’ was been put up for rent on Flinders Street in Melbourne’s Central Business District for $320 a week
Other renters warned that the building was in terrible shape.
‘The building this is in is horrible,’ a Melbourne renter said.
‘It has a central open atrium with a pool on the ground, but it’s like something out of a horror movie.
‘I went for an inspection there and the lift nearly got stuck, the pool was empty and full of mosquitoes, and the railings and landings for each floor looked uneven. I’m not sure how it’s safe for tenants.’
Adam Flynn, Victorian State Director of the Coronis Real Estate Group, described the situation as a ‘Mexican standoff’ where renters, buyers, and landlords are all suffering due to the state of inflation and interest rates.
‘Any reasonable person would call renting that property for $320 a week outrageous,’ the real estate expert told FEMAIL.
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