Billed as 'micro studio,' Craigslist user tries to rent Vancouver bathroom with bed inside
The number of bedrooms and bathrooms is common on real estate listings, but one Craigslist poster had a different approach.
The bedroom and bathroom are one and the same.
The listing, which has since been removed, describes the rental unit as a "newly renovated micro studio" in Vancouver's West End.
At just 160 square feet, "micro" is not necessarily inaccurate, though "studio" is arguable. The post shows what appears to be a large bathroom with a bed inside.
According to the Craigslist post, the "furnished apartment" is located on Barclay and Bute streets, and is non-smoking. There is laundry in the building and street parking available, the would-be landlord wrote.
For $680 a month, the successful applicant would find themselves in a space with, according to the listing, granite finishing, storage space, a hot plate, a bed, a mini fridge, large window and brand new porcelain flooring. Not to mention a limited commute to another porcelain feature – the toilet – which is a short distance from, and in full view of, the bed.
The listing suggests the renter would be on a three-month lease, with the option to extend. Pets are not allowed, and there is no kitchen.
"This unit is ideal for a single individual looking to live downtown at an affordable rate, and who does not need much space," the landlord wrote, adding that the unit is available Aug. 1 or earlier.
An image from a since-deleted Craigslist post shows a 'micro studio' for rent in Vancouver.
The listing may offer some a laugh, but it's also a reflection of the real estate situation in a city where affordable housing is hard to come by.
A June report from rental site PadMapper showed the median rent for new one-bedroom listings in Vancouver was $1,950.
And it's not much cheaper to rent in municipalities outside the city. Burnaby was Canada's third priciest city last month, according to PadMapper, with landlords of one-bedroom units looking for a median of $1,700 a month.
The site did not provide data on the median for studios – "micro" or otherwise – but in a region with a vacancy rate that is often hovering around one per cent, one can infer that it's higher than $680 for most new listings.
The most recent data from Statistics Canada suggested a median household income for someone not in a census family, a category that includes those who live alone, is just $30,540 in the City of Vancouver.
Factoring in job loss due to the pandemic, it's not surprising some may resort to a bathroom-bedroom combination.
An image from a since-deleted Craigslist post shows a 'micro studio' for rent in Vancouver.
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