A very tiny home in Las Vegas has caused a stir among renters desperate for affordable housing options.
An unsuspecting landlord listed the micro home for $US950 per month ($AU1435) including utilities, and was not prepared for the hundreds of keen prospective tenant inquiries that followed, Fox 5 reports.
“I’ve literally [had] 113 [inquiries] and counting,” the landlord, who asked to remain anonymous, told the outlet. “[My phone] keeps ringing on wanting to rent it. It’s definitely in people’s heart to want to save some money right now.”
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Just shy of a meagre 15 square metres, the truly tiny house comes fully furnished and covers electricity, plumbing, garbage and WiFi.
The home is located on the landlord’s property, but has its own backyard with separate entrance.
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The tiny home is around half the average rental price of a dwelling in the Las Vegas area, which may explain the fervour.
A recent Zillow report shows the average Las Vegas rental is $US1,745 ($AU2600) and people need to make $US70,000 ($AU106,000) to afford that. Las Vegas is also known for its high rate of evictions due to missed rental payments.
The price of rentals nationwide in the US has increased 30 per cent since 2020, leaving many grappling to find affordable housing.
The homeowner built it himself for $US22,000 ($AU33,200). It’s one of a dozen he’s wound up building due to the demand for affordable rentals in the region.
Despite its petite proportions, the tiny home is well designed. Inside, there’s a small pull-down table for dining, a kitchen with a cooktop, a washer/dryer combo, a bathroom and a loft bedroom.
Requests have included a family of four, and three individuals who each have two children and a dog. The common thread? A desire for affordability at the sacrifice of space.
Nevada allows tiny home dwellings, passing legislation in 2021 that required cities with populations above 150,000 to create zoning laws for tiny homes for compliance by 2024.
In Australia, prices of unit rentals have risen seven times faster than wages. Coupled with increasing prices for home buyers and high interest rates, it’s contributed to a housing crisis in Australian cities, and now there are record numbers of adult children returning to live with their parents in the family home to save for a deposit.