Tiny shack on edge of town with no bathroom goes up for rent at an eyewatering price – sparking outrage about Australia’s cost of living crisis
- A small cubby is renting for $175 per week
- The landlord says that he’s helping renters
- Others say that he’s taking advantage
A tiny shack ‘barely wider than a two seater couch’ has been advertised for $175 per week sparking outrage among renters in the midst of Australia’s worsening rental crisis.
The cabin near Cygnet in Tasmania doesn’t even include its own bathroom and is located half hour out of the small town with little public transport.
Furious renters slammed the exorbitant listing for the subpar home as a ‘disgrace’.
‘This tiny wooden box is barely wider than a two seater couch, has no bathroom, no kitchen, and is a 25 minute walk from Cygnet,’ one commenter wrote.
‘If you had tried that on as little as five years ago, someone would have tossed you directly into the Tasman Sea.’
The ‘cabin’ near Cygnet, Tasmania, is advertised for $175 per week
The interior doesn’t include a kitchen or bathroom, and is ‘barely wider than a two seater couch’
Owner Micheal Darcy said he’s only trying to help people who are seriously struggling to find a place to live.
‘If people had actually reached out to me before having a crack they would see I am an honest guy trying to help people,’ he told the The Mercury.
‘I share the main house with my 18-year-old daughter and we both work full-time jobs.’
‘I don’t charge electricity, water or rates and I couldn’t do it any cheaper with rising interest rates.’
Mr Darcy insisted that the cabin was built in line with council standards and regulations and that whoever ends up renting the cabin can share the kitchen and bathrooms in the main house.
He claims to have received more than 20 serious inquires about the home.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted The Tenants Union of Tasmania and the Huon Valley Council for comment.
Micheal Darcy said that he has received 20 serious inquiries so far from renters looking for a place to stay
There have been staggering finds on flatshare websites recently as Australia’s rental crisis continues to spiral out of control.
Daily Mail Australia previously reported a metal shed touted as ‘granny flat’ which is set to be demolished after it was found that it breached national and council codes.
Meanwhile, a Sydney balcony featuring tarp and curtains acting as walls was listed for a staggering $300 a week in early February this year.
‘Permanent’ tents were also reported to have been appearing in Melbourne during housing shortages there, with prices ranging from $90 to $130 per week on balconies across the city’s CBD.
Professor Nicole Gurran, expert in urban planning and housing affordability, told Daily Mail Australia: ‘Young people who’ve abandoned hope of getting on the housing ladder are right to feel aggrieved.
‘They have ignored three decades of research evidence on how to make the housing system fairer and more efficient,’ she said.
Professor Gurran said the Australian government could do more to help young people have a fair chance of getting on the housing ladder.
‘Recent promises of a national housing plan and increased social and affordable supply are important, obvious and immediate measures – like increasing Commonwealth Rent Assistance; reforming the private rental sector; and requiring new housing developments to include affordable homes to buy and rent – continue to be overlooked.’
This ‘granny flat’ was listed online for $1,000 per month (pictured) before complaints led to the NSW Campbelltown council ordering its demolition.
‘Permanent’ tents (pictured) found across balconies, particularly in Melbourne, have been a another option for desperate Australian renters.
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