Controversial Kilkenny rental fails the sniff test at open house

The squalid little house quickly became a big deal on social media when users saw how much renters would be expected to pay for it.

• Most unaffordable suburbs revealed

A renter has given her verdict on the controversial $500 a week asking price for a “cosy” Kilkenny bungalow, as new data reveals low-income earners are copping the worst of the housing crisis.

Kilkenny mother-to-be Natasha Merola, 31, told The Advertiser she has been boarding with her mum because “things are just too hard” in the housing market.

“I’ve had a storage unit that I’ve been paying $280 a month for five years – that’s a lot of money, I mean, that could have been a house deposit,” Ms Merola said.

“I’m also three weeks pregnant, which is still a while off, but you need a place if you’re starting a family.”

Ms Merola, who is also on JobSeeker payments, said there was “no way” she would offer $500 a week for the Kilkenny property, which she conceded “needs a bit of reno work”.

She said the median weekly rent in Adelaide, which came in at $480 in October, was “ridiculous” and has left her with limited options.

Potential renter Natasha Merola outside a controversial rental property at Kilkenny. Picture: Emma Brasier

Inside the ramshackle house for rent at $500 per week. Picture: Supplied

Images from the rental’s online listing. Picture: Supplied

The house featured on multiple viral social media pages after going up for rent. Picture: Supplied

“I think it’s ridiculous, to be honest – especially when you could just have (government) assistance to buy a home, which is way better if you’re eligible for it,” she said.

“I’ve got everything for a home, but I want to be able to move into a place and make it feel like it’s ours.”

New research shows jobseekers like Ms Merola are spending up to 80 per cent of their weekly income on rent as low housing supply forces some renters to consider options more than 30km from the city.

HOW MUCH WOULD YOU PAY FOR IT? TELL US IN THE COMMENTS

A spacious yard was not enough to seal the deal. Picture: Supplied

Images from inside the building proved just as contentious as the exterior. Picture: Supplied

One person who turned up to the open house left unimpressed. Picture: Supplied

Single parents and pensioners are also spending nearly 50% of their weekly income on rent, according to a joint study by National Shelter and SGS Economics and Planning.

Shelter SA chief executive Dr Alice Clark echoed calls from other welfare groups to limit rent rises to the inflation index.

“What’s happening in Adelaide shows that Australia’s rental market is being pushed to the brink of disaster through a combination of soaring prices and low supply,” Dr Clark said.

With rentals outside of Adelaide shooting up 12.9 per cent in the last year, she also said that “moving to the regions does not provide affordability relief any more.”