Studio swindle? Landlord under fire for £850-a-month property branded a 'hallway' by house hunters.
15 November 2022, 14:22 | Updated: 15 November 2022, 14:34
A landlord has come under fire for advertising a 'hallway' as a self-contained studio flat, with prospective tenants being asked to pay a staggering £850-a-month in rent.
Showcased by estate agent EPS Properties on property site Zoopla, the ‘small studio’ located in Cambridge measures in at 5ft 7in-wide – before the depth of the ‘breakfast bar’ is factored in.
Likened to a ‘hallway’ by one Reddit user, the monthly fee is said to include all bills, including wi-fi and council tax.
Labelled 'disgraceful' by another user, the agent is also requesting a deposit of £866 ahead of prospective tenants moving into the property.
‘Property has its own bathroom, kitchen area and single bed’, claims the ad, with images showing a bed squeezed tightly against the wall and a ‘kitchen’ which sees the fridge align with the end of the bed frame.
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The ad has garnered widespread criticism by internet users – so much so, Hasan Osman, a partner at EPS Properties, revealed the landlord had been convinced to drop the advertised price by £100.
Measuring 24ft 7in from the front door to the back, the property – located between Cambridge and Cambridge North stations – comes complete with a fetching concrete courtyard that the tenant is permitted to use.
The bed's headboard is seen to be barely wider than the width of the bathroom.
EPS Properties has since admitted complaints have been received in relation to the ‘cosy’ property, however, continued to assert that 'if it doesn't suit them, they don't need to rent it.'
Another Reddit user commented: 'The box on top of the fridge is even shocked. Jokes aside, that's disgusting.'
The room, which technically exceeds the Government's 6.25 square meter minimum size for a room occupied by a person over 10 years old.
Mr Osman, whose firm manages properties for landlords in the Cambridge area, said to the Mail Online: 'I think the length of the property is good, but I think the width is a little bit narrow.
“We tried to get a double bed in there and it wasn't giving us much space.
'People asked us how we can rent it for that price but what people need to understand is as part of an agency we can only advise our landlords on what the correct rental price should be.”
Mr Osman believes the previous owners converted the garage attached to the four-bedroom property, also renting out the space adjoining the property.
