Ridiculous Airbnb listing again exposes Sydney’s terrible rental crisis

A shocking living room Airbnb listing shows the depths some are going to to pay their rent. It’s $300 to sleep on the floor. Want privacy? A makeshift partition butts up against the dining room table, and another blocks the lounge.

An Airbnb property in Waterloo exposes the extreme rental crisis and landlord exploitation in Sydney. Source: Reddit

A shocking Airbnb listing charges over $300 for a single mattress on a living room floor in Waterloo, showing the length some tenants will go to bring down their rent in a dire market.

Listed under ‘RARE Spacious Living Room near CBD’, the room can only be booked for a minimum of four nights costing over $300.

Listing pictures show a makeshift partition, like a child’s pillow fort, set up in the apartment living room, squashed between the couch and the dining table.

The description describes the set-up as an “affordable spacious living room, suitable for someone who can sleep on (sic) every conditions”.

“Live with other professional (sic) and mature tenants in the modern apartment equipped with gym, pools & sauna,” the listing said.

An Airbnb property in Waterloo shows the extreme rental crisis and landlord exploitation in Sydney. Source: Reddit

An Airbnb property in Waterloo shows the extreme rental crisis and landlord exploitation in Sydney. Source: Reddit

“Partition wall is around 1.9 metres high from the floor … your privacy is just like a normal room except the partition wall does not meet the ceiling.”

The three-bedroom apartment which is described as a rental with roommates, hosts five other tenants.

“You can have the whole house to yourself in weekdays from 8:30am-6pm as everybody is at work,” the listing says.

“Please bear in mind that my other flatmate uses the TV in the living room a few times a week from 7pm to 9:30pm.”

It’s not all bad news, as the Meriton apartment complex the unit is in boasts a gym, four pools and two saunas.

Airbnb users shared the link on reddit to express their shock over the listing.

“How little shame must you have to think something like this is even remotely appropriate?,” asked one user.

“It looks like someone wants to fund a holiday by renting out their living area and keeping their crap in their bedroom,” said another user.

“This is why so many apartments just outright ban short-term accommodation.”

The host, who goes by the name of Dinda on her Airbnb profile, describes herself as a “friendly and mature Sydney Accountant,” who has been living in Australia for 25 years.

Originally published as Ridiculous Airbnb listing again exposes Sydney’s terrible rental crisis