Woman accuses hostel of 'taking advantage of' vulnerable Aussies

An Aussie woman has slammed a hostel for offering the rental of a single bed in a communal bunk for $350 per week — claiming its the epitome of Australia's current rental crisis. Yet others think it's a good solution to the problem.

While searching on flatmates.com.au for "somewhere to live" in the Gold Coast, the disgruntled prospective renter came across the hostel's listing and was "disgusted" the accommodation was being offered as a long-term option.

"I'm on flatmates.com, I'm not on booking.com — I'm not looking for a holiday," she said online. "This is where people advertise their spare rooms and for people to move in to live permanently... That is just taking advantage of people that are in need."

The hostel reportedly has a 100-person sleeping capacity with a communal kitchen and bathrooms shared onsite, with images showing at least ten single beds packed together in the one area.

"I would rather not sleep in a 100-bed dorm that you're sharing with other people... The rental crisis is so real," she said.

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Aussies divided over 'insane' accommodation option

Despite the TikToker standing firm on her opinion, many believed the hostel accommodation and price was fair given the current lack of vacant rental properties in the country.

"Not bad for the Gold Coast though, and decent amenities," one wrote, pointing out two daily meals and bills were included in the price.

Another Aussie share they stayed in a hostel for "a month and a half" while struggling to find a more permanent home and said "it's cheaper than renting."

Despite some choosing to reside in hostels short-term or travellers staying in one if they remain in the one spot for a period of time, hostels are commonly advertised as an inexpensive accommodation option for those passing through an area — with the TikToker frustrated by other people largely being unfazed by the listing.

However some agreed with her. "It's not normal to have a hostel on flatmates.com.au," one person said, while others called it "insane" and "definitely not worth it" given the conditions are usually "gross" with so many people residing in the one place. One previous backpacker said the hostel in question did not look like the promotional images in the listing.

Yahoo has reached out to the hostel, as well as flatmates.com.au to determine what listings are allowed on their site.

Rental vacancies drop again nationwide

The country continues to grapple with a rental crisis as the imbalance of supply versus demand across Australia is expected to once again result in the market tightening as vacancies drop.

There are fears there will once again by long queues outside rental property viewings and an increase in weekly rent prices, with the 'mini-reprieve' experienced over the last few months expected to come to an end. Given the long-term solution will be to create more housing around the country.

Recent data released from SQM research suggests the rental vacancy rate has dropped to 1.1 per cent, meaning there are now only 32,660 properties vacant compared to over 35,000 in August.

"The national rental market continues to tighten and going forward, based on falls in rental listings for October to date, we could see a record low in rental vacancy rates for this present month," Managing Director of SQM Research Louis Christopher said.

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