‘Currently uninhabitable’: Aussies lose it over house with $0 rent – with major catch

Aussies are losing it over an “uninhabitable” family home that is being rented out for $0 per week – with one seriously baffling catch.

Aussies are losing it over an “uninhabitable” family home that is being rented out for $0 per week – with one seriously baffling catch.

The property – located in Greenacre in Sydney’s southwest – was recently listed by the I Group Real Estate agency, with the listing also appearing on digital property portals such as Domain.

The listing has since been removed, but not before internet users managed to take screenshots and circulate them online thanks to one truly wild catch.

According to the original property description, the three-bedroom family home is “perfect for the growing family, nestled in a quiet yet convenient location being close to all the wonderful amenities such as transport, parks, schools, shops” – but is also “in need of a renovation”.

The listing continues by urging applicants to read the entire description before sending an inquiry – including further details under a telling heading: ‘What’s the catch?’

The family home was listed for $0 per week – but with a major catch.

It explains the property is “currently uninhabitable” and that “work is required before moving in” – but that the landlord “does not have the funds to renovate the property”.

As a result, there is an “opportunity for a savvy-minded person or persons with trade knowledge and experience”, with the successful tenant required to “pay for the full renovation as their own expense”.

In return, the landlord will offer a three-year lease, with the first year being rent-free to cover the cost of a renovation, while rent would be “negotiable” for the remaining two years.

It concludes that applicants will be assessed according to standard procedures “plus the knowledge and experience in performing the renovation before renting”, and that “insurances and licenses for any trade work will be required” as well.

News.com.au contacted I Group Real Estate and Domain for comment.

It is not clear whether the offer still stands, and why it was taken down in the first place, although there has been widespread speculation regarding whether or not the offer was actually legal.

The listing has since been removed.

It last sold in 2012 for $485,000.

“Rent an uninhabitable house for $0/wk for a year and renovate it at your expense before you can move in then pay me rent for two years because I have no money to renovate it. Get ABSOLUTELY f***ed,” one Twitter user who shared a screenshot of the ad posted.

“So they get to pay to renovate someone else’s house (along with the headache of that), but still have to pay rent (or mortgage) elsewhere as the house is uninhabitable. Then when they’ve paid to make the house habitable, they have to pay rent. Makes total sense,” another said.

The listing has also gone viral on Reddit, with many Aussies pointing out that the tenant would ultimately get the raw deal.

“So the better the job you do with the renovations, the more they’ll charge you for rent, right?” one person commented, with another adding: “If I had to pay for that reno and the rent was offset to cover costs, the landlord better not be expecting rent for the first 10 years”.

“I love how they offer a rent-free period during which you can’t live there as it’s uninhabitable and you have to pay for and do all the renovations. And once you work for free, and pay for all renovation costs, and can finally live there, they start charging you rent. What a bargain,” another wrote.

According to property data seen by news.com.au, the home most recently sold in May 2012 for $485,000, and it is currently estimated to be worth around $1.35 million.

Meanwhile, I Group Real Estate has been flooded with one and two-star reviews since the listing caught the nation’s attention.

A NSW Fair Trading spokesman said the Residential Tenancies Act requires a landlord to provide the premises in a state that is fit for habitation by the tenant.

“It would be a breach of the tenancy agreement if the premises is not fit for habitation, and the tenant may be able to terminate the agreement and claim compensation,” he said.

“The Act does not specifically address the issue of a landlord advertising free rent in exchange for renovation work.

“However, the Act does state rent will consist of a defined amount that is payable by the tenant to the landlord at defined times, and that the premises would be safe and fit for habitation.

“It appears this proposed agreement did not comply with this requirement.”

The listing comes amid a noted rental crisis in Australia, with the national vacancy rate standing at 1.1 per cent in March, a nudge of 0.1 per cent from the month before.

Vacancy rates across greater Sydney and Melbourne remained at 1.3 per cent and 1.1 per cent respectively.

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Originally published as ‘Currently uninhabitable’: Aussies lose it over house with $0 rent – with major catch