Desperate Melbourne renters happy to skimp on space could rent a single bed space shuttle-style pod, for a jaw-dropping $900 per month.
A private rental listing for an Abbotsford house is offering single capsule bedrooms for $250 per week (or $900 per month), and traditional bedrooms for $400 per week (or $1500 per month).
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Sleep right next to your neighbour. Picture: Facebook/Frank Chan
The pods are all located in one bedroom at this Abbotsford house. Picture: realestate.com.au
The pods are located in the ground floor bedroom. Picture: realestate.com.au
Listing images show six pod-style beds are stacked on top of each other in one of the bedrooms, while the three remaining upstairs bedrooms contain space for normal-sized beds.
Real estate records show the home contains five bedrooms, four bathrooms and one car park, and was last reported to have been sold in 2012.
“The boarding house and the capsules are fully licensed. We work with building surveyors, property lawyers, council, health department, consumer affairs and BBOA to ensure the house is fully compliant with Australian building code and fire safety regulation,” the listing reads.
Premium space shuttle style living. Picture: Facebook/Frank Chan
The communal kitchen. Picture: Facebook/Frank Chan
The living room and courtyard downstairs. Facebook/Frank Chan
“The eight bed, four bath house can host maximum of 12 occupants only, no overcrowding allowed.”
Features for those who choose to rent a capsule for $250 per week include a “single bed equipped with own mirror, ventilating fan, USB ports, digital control panels, adjustable colour reading lights, safe locker, clothes hanger and curtain door for privacy.
“They look like space shuttles.”
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Normal bedrooms are also available upstairs to rent for $1500 per month. Picture: Facebook/Frank Chan
One of the home’s four bathrooms. Picture: Facebook/Frank Chan
Step out of your space shuttle into a sunny yellow hallway. Picture: Facebook/Frank Chan
Landlord Frank Chan highlights aspects that may be appealing to budding renters are there are ‘No bills to pay, no bond, and no minimum stay’ and that it is ‘cheaper the longer you stay’. There is also daily housekeeping and ‘24/7 staff’.
Shared facilities include a modern kitchen, a TV lounge area, a courtyard, backyard garden, a guest coin laundry and dryer.
Mr Chan said rising inflation and a reduction in the number of short-term travellers had contributed to rising costs.
“I do not charge bond, no electricity charge, provide full furniture, full-time housekeeper, tenants have full flexibility when they want to leave, and my price is cheaper than 95 per cent of comparable listings in booking.com, hotels.com and Airbnb the like,” he told the Guardian.
Mr Chan also highlighted that more homes equipped with space shuttle capsules could be a “solution” to Melbourne’s rental market issues.
A screenshot of the private rental listing. Picture: Facebook/Frank Chan
“I hope local councils can make it easier for landlords to install them,” he said.
“At the moment it’s quite hard to make it happen, I am the only pod provider in Melbourne.”
The listing comes after much uproar was made about an apartment listing in Adelaide this week, which had a ‘glass bathroom box’ in the middle of the kitchen – asking $400 per week in rent.
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brendan.casey@news.com.au
