$625/month for a 60-square-foot sleeping pod? That's what's being advertised in Metro Vancouver

This image from an ad on Craigslist shows a "sleeping pod" being advertised for rent in Metro Vancouver at a rate of $625/month.

Craigslist postings for relatively affordable shared accommodation in Metro Vancouver can include anything from tiny windowless dens to parked travel trailers. But a recent posting may be a first for the region.

A place in New Westminster that is 60 square feet is being advertised for $625 a month. It has the usual caveats about sharing the kitchen, bathroom and laundry. Only one photo is provided and the posting seems to say what exactly it shows.

"Rent includes your own sleeping pod," it reads, adding that utilities and internet are included in the monthly rate.

"Please see photo before emailing," it cautions.

CTV News Vancouver has reached out to the poster to find out more about the rental. This story will be updated if a response is received.

A sleeping pod, also called a nap pod or a capsule, is a small, tube-like private space where someone can retreat to rest. They can be found in workplaces, airports and on university campuses and are generally marketed as places where someone can grab a power nap in an otherwise busy environment.

While some contain little more than a mattress and a pillow, others are soundproofed, temperature-controlled and feature TVs or sound systems. One website that sells them shows a range in prices from about $5,500 to $15,000 USD.

An ad on Craigslist lists a "sleeping pod" for rent in Metro Vancouver for $625/month. Screenshot taken on July 17, 2022. Although not in any way common on the rental market, sleeping pods are not new to Metro Vancouver.

 

In 2016, the British Columbia Institute of Technology launched a pilot program featuring two nap pods in the campus library. Available by reservation, the idea was to give students who may otherwise fall asleep on couches, chairs, or with their heads on tables somewhere to retreat to and recharge.

Sleep pods at the British Columbia Institute of Technology

The first "capsule hotel" in Canada opened in Whistler in 2018. A similar hotel in Richmond opened the following year. These don’t feature the space-age type of pod the Craigslist post appears to advertise but instead they are more like enclosed bunk beds. The price for a single person to stay in one of these hotels is between $69 and $99 per night.