Yahoo Finance House with 'free' rent, but there's a major catch
The property up for rent is “currently uninhabitable”.
A landlord is offering free rent for a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house in south-west Sydney. But the property comes with one major flaw - it’s currently uninhabitable.
The Greenacre rental was posted to Domain, Homely and other rental sites over the weekend and has now been swiftly taken down.
“3 bedroom family home perfect for the growing family, nestled in a quiet yet convenient location being close to all the wonderful amenities such as transport, parks, schools, shops in need of a renovation,” the listing read.
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The catch? The tenant is expected to stump up the entire cost of renovating the house before they can actually live in it.
“Property is currently uninhabitable - work is required before moving in. The landlord does not have the funds to renovate the property,” the listing said.
The listing agent described it as an opportunity for a “savvy minded person or persons with trade knowledge and experience”.
In return for paying the “full renovation at their own expense”, the successful tenant will receive a three-year lease with the first year rent-free. They then need to pay rent for the second and third year, which is “negotiable” at $650 a week.
‘The audacity’
Comedian Jordan van den Berg posted a review of the rental on TikTok and noted the property was minutes away from the infamous Skaf family home, which was recently subject to a drive-by shooting.
“At least they weren't lying about convenient location. Is very convenient for drive bys on local gang houses,” one person commented.
Other commenters called out the landlord’s “audacity” and the fact the property was only free for one year.
“Next they will tell you to build a house which you can then rent back,” one person said.
“Wow. Just when you thought the audacity was at it's [sic] most audacious,” another person commented.
“Lol the listing is already pulled down. Worst bit was it said 3 year lease but only the 1st year free and price negotiable on the 2nd and 3rd,” a third person said.
On Reddit, commentators also pointed out the new tenant would need to spend thousands on the renovation.
"What a steal. Instead of paying $33,800 a year (the $650 they want after the first year) you get to spend 100-200k+," someone said.
"If the landlord is tight on money and doesn't have the funds to renovate, they should just sell the place," another commented.
"It's illegal to lease a place uninhabitable... absolute clowns people should report this," another said.
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