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Aussie council shuts down shed advertised as granny flat: 'Boils my blood'

The owner of the shed in Sydney's southwest was asking $1000 rent a month before Campbelltown council ordered it be demolished.

A basic metal shed described as a granny flat has been the latest subpar living space offered as accommodation to those struggling in Sydney's rental crisis.

The shed situated in the southwest suburb of Minto was listed on Facebook marketplace for $1,000 per month before a furious user questioned the legitimacy of the ad.

"It boils my blood to see the level of exploitation out there during a housing crisis," Ben wrote in a post he shared to a Facebook group.

Inside the granny flat at Minto.
The "granny flat" was advertised as a two-minute walk away from a local college as well as a shopping mall in Minto, close to Campbelltown. Source: Facebook

The accommodation had tiled flooring throughout, and was fitted with a shower and toilet despite its small size. It appears to be built at the end of another property's yard.

Man's lengthy endeavour to shut down granny flat

The 27-year-old was hailed a "legend" on Facebook for going out of his way to contact the council and shut down the accommodation. In an email allegedly sent by Campbelltown City Council, which was shared online, the shed was "unauthorised work" and a notice of demolition has been issued to the owner.

"Mate this is amazing!!! We all deserve adequate housing," one man said in praise of him.

"Wow. A 'studio'. The audacity!" another wrote.

"Plenty of these around at the moment. I urge everyone that comes across an ad like this to report it," a woman said.

Ben explained the way in which he gained all the necessary information to alert the council of the listing after the owner would not give the property address, forcing him to trudge through rentals apps to spot brickwork that matched pictures of the accommodation on Facebook.

Campbelltown City Council told Yahoo News they were alerted of the "granny flat" in question.

“Council was made aware of an illegally constructed shed being advertised for rent as a granny flat following a complaint received from the community," the spokesperson said.

Why was the accomodation not fit for rental?

Although it could be argued the space is not appropriate after a simple glance, the council explained on what legal premise the accommodation was deemed unsuitable.

The accomodation should comply with the National Construction Code, which outlines the technical design of a residential house. Accommodation should always be approved by council before commencing too, which the shed in question failed on both counts, forcing the local council to take action.

“An order to demolish the unauthorised shed was issued on the owner of the property as the shed and its location was deemed to not meet the relevant development requirements,” a Campbelltown City Council spokesperson said.

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