At 55 years old, former nurse Mia Smith* did not expect to be living in a crammed sharehouse with no hot water, no locks on the doors, a broken toilet seat and stained carpet.
But for three months, that was her reality.
As the nation's housing crisis continues, desperate renters are forced to settle for "unliveable conditions" in crowded rentals.
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After moving 40 times, Mia found the Melbourne property on Facebook Marketplace, agreeing to pay $910 a month for a room.
She lived in the share house for three months, until deciding enough was enough.
"There's no minimum standards to the place that is a requirement in Victorian law," she said.
"I've had to give up this room and break a lease that's non-existent … I'm basically homeless," she said.
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She is now forced to couch surf at friend's houses while she searches for a permanent place to live.
Alice Stolz, national property editor at Domain, said Mia's situation exemplifies the harsh reality of the nation's current housing shortage.
"Fundamentally it speaks to just how severe this affordability and rental problem is," she said.
"People who really feel they have no options and have been driven to areas like Facebook marketplace really need to exercise caution."
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Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Victorian conference director Rebecca Auriant has been tasked with helping Mia, and thousands of other struggling renters, find a suitable home.
"I strongly feel that the exploitation of people who are vulnerable is a crime," she said.
"It makes me really sad that people like private landlords will charge excessive amounts for just a room … these rooms aren't meeting minimum standards."
