Renters have been horrified after a landlord transformed a windowless garage into a ‘studio space’ and demanded almost $300 a week from future tenants.
The space was described as a ‘self contained room’ at a property in Kelvin Grove, Brisbane’s inner north, and came with a hefty $280-a-week price tag.
The rental was listed on Facebook Marketplace and stood out for all the wrong reasons – including not having any windows.
The ‘room’ was listed as a ‘quiet and safe place’ and was centrally located, with an Aldi store just 350m away.
The dubious rental, which had exposed plumbing pipes running along the ceiling, also said it was located near a bus stop and was ‘available now’.
In a photograph, a make-shift kitchen consisted of some shelving and a microwave – while a sink and fridge appeared to be missing.
There was a desk with a chair, a bedside table, a fan and a room divider.
Prospective tenants shared their shock the garage could even be considered a legal rental, calling it ‘shonky’.
The since-taken down Facebook Marketplace post advertising a ‘self contained’ garage that appeared to be windowless, despite having a small curtain (pictured)
Aussie renters are struggling to not just find a rental but to afford one as well (pictured potential renters queue to inspect a unit)
‘Is this what I think it is?’ one asked.
‘I wish people would stop thinking this is OK,’ another wrote.
Another added: ‘I’m not sure but aren’t bedrooms/living spaces required by law to have windows’.
The garage listing comes at a time when renters are facing historically-high weekly rents and low supply.
The median rental for Kelvin Grove is $525 for a one bedroom unit, according to Queensland Residential Tenancies Authority.
Although requirements can vary between states and territories, a habitable room in Australia must have access to natural light and ventilation and must have a ceiling height of 2.4m.
The window can open in another room, but as the garage is just the one room, it is hard to know if it qualifies because there was no picture of a bathroom window.
The Queensland Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 states the minimum standards and requirements for rentals properties.
Would you live in a garage? Desperate Aussies are renting out ‘converted’ spaces, such as garages – but even these are expensive (pictured stock photo of a suburban garage)
‘While the Act does not include a definition of what makes something a room, the minimum standards require that rental properties include curtains or other window coverings,’ a spokesman said.
‘[These] provide privacy in rooms where the tenant might reasonably expect it, such as bedrooms or a bathroom.’
In Australia, there is a window requirement for all rooms, according to the Master Builders’ website.
‘The Building Code of Australia has a minimum requirement for natural light to a habitable room. It is calculated based on the floor area of a habitable room,’ it said.
‘A window opening is required that has an area 10% of the floor area of the room.’
