Shed in Aussie town up for rent for $120: 'Absolute joke'
A backyard shed being advertised as a $120 per week rental has been slammed as a "joke" online.
The wooden shed, complete with a crooked garage door, is the size of a single car garage and sits behind the main house on the Queensland property. Photos posted on the Gumtree listing show two beds sitting on what appears to be a blue tarp, while a fan and a chest of drawers can be seen in the background.
In the description, the landlord said the bed and a blanket would be provided, and power, water and internet were included in the rent. Solo tenants would pay $120 per week, but if you had a partner you could share the shed for $150 a week.
The listing stated that tenants would be allowed to use facilities in the main house – "like fridge, TV, microwave, washing machine” – and said it was conveniently located near a shopping centre and just five minutes from a train station.
The ad mentioned the shed could either be used for storage or to live in.
Landlord defends property listing
The woman who posted the listing hit back at online critics who said the place was unfit for living, telling Yahoo News Australia it was clean and bug-free.
"The shed is ok to live because you can use the main house facility," she said. "It’s a good house, there’s no problem,” she added, saying her and her husband have stayed in the shed without issue.
She said she had listed the shed for two reasons, to provide an affordable room amid skyrocketing prices and to create an extra stream of income for her family.
“It’s too expensive. The prices are getting higher, so many people are homeless,” she said.
Originally from Korea, she said she struggled to be understood at times in the regional Queensland town, and insisted the property was a good catch.
The ad was posted three days ago but so far no-one has asked to view the property.
'An absolute joke': Rental slammed online
The listing caught the attention of one unamused Gumtree user, who posted photos of the shed to Reddit.
“Found this absolutely unreal deal on Gumtree for $120 a week,” they wrote. “Love the lack of insulation, the door falling down, the immaculate kitchen bench.”
Some viewers couldn’t believe it, asking if the ad was “taking the piss”, to which the poster replied: “Knowing this s**thole of a town, not a chance.”
“F**king unreal,” they added. “The sad part is the rental crisis is so terrible right now this is absolutely bound to be taken if not tomorrow, the day after, when the choice is between that or the local park bench.”
Other Reddit users were shocked by the listing.
"At $120 it’s just an absolute joke, maybe at $50 it could be reasonable if they cleaned it,” one said.
“Your roommate is a 40cm huntsman that drapes itself over your face as you sleep,” another wrote.
“It's called the boutique, rustic, deluxe (has a mattress/sheets/blanket/pillows, a fan, an umbrella and a towel - all weather!), 1820s experience. They could AirBnB it for $500 a night with the right marketing,” another joked.
“If the cold doesn't get you the spiders will, this is disgusting. The "landlord" clearly has no moral compass,” someone else said.
Queensland to introduce new rental laws
Queensland doesn’t have a defined list of minimum housing standards like other states, however a new set of laws commencing on September 1, 2023, will outline standards to be kept by landlords.
Under the changes, properties must be weatherproof and structurally sound, must have functioning locks or latches on doors and windows and be free of vermin, damp and mould.
Until those laws are introduced, the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 says owners are required to make sure the property is in a clean condition, that it is fit for living in and is in good repair.
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