This tiny £600 lean-to shed for rent is truly the stuff of nightmares

Anyone who’s ever rented in a big city like London, Birmingham or Manchester knows that, for tenants, the UK’s housing market is basically the Wild West.

Dodgy landlords try to market some ridiculously tiny properties, in appalling conditions, for astronomical prices.

But spare a thought for whichever poor soul is going to rent out this abysmally small lean-to shed in the Dublin suburb of Sutton for more than £600 per month (€700).

The one-bed property, which doesn’t have a washing machine and appears to be made entirely of wood, with an exposed brick wall on one side, is described by the estate agent as “a unique little room that has pretty much all you need.”

The agent goes on: “The flat has a fully-equipped kitchen when you walk in. It also has a sitting area, with table and chairs. You can get up to the bed by climbing some stairs. Below the bed is the bathroom, complete with toilet and shower.”

They even put together this house-of-horrors style walk through video of the property, which is an absolute must-watch – but be warned: it’s properly grim. You will also note that the ‘stairs’ are not actually stairs, but a wooden ladder.

And, rather hilariously, they provided a floor plan of the rental in case you lose your bearings:

This listing would be quite funny if it didn’t so perfectly reflect the UK’s housing crisis and our ever-shrinking living quarters. According to the Guardian, “Britain’s housing crisis is pushing more of us into shoebox homes. And in 2014, the average new-build in the UK was 76 sq m, the smallest in Europe.”

Well, I’m off home now to head to my London flat/postage stamp that chews up 80% of my pay cheque. Renting is so fun!

*Update*: Spotahome has now removed the listing from its site and said in a statement to ShortList: “Spotahome is an online residential rentals platform that aims to demonstrate each property in a realistic manner through photos, detailed videos and floor plans. Our job is to verify the property’s existence, features and location to faciliate rentals without in-person viewings. As a marketplace, it is the landlord’s responsibility to ensure they meet all legal requirements.

“Clearly this listing didn’t meet requirements as it only has a 2-ring hob and minimum standards require a 4-ring hob with oven and grill, and a cooker hood. We have taken the feedback from Twitter users on board, and have unpublished the property. In regards to the price, landlords set their own pricing, terms and conditions and the contract is signed directly between the tenant and the landlord.”

(Images: Spotahome)