Landlord caught out as sneaky move is noticed by eagle-eyed renters – and they’re NOT happy
A SNEAKY landlord has been accused of advertising the same house twice – at different rents.
Facebook listings appear to show the four-bed rented property offered for £400 a week, and then again a week later for £530.
Eagle-eyed potential tenants slammed the “ridiculous” price hike and accused the landlord of trying to cash in on the rental crisis in Australia.
The first ad was posted by the landlord in a community Facebook group last week, reports news.com.au.
The “well appointed” house boasts built-in wardrobes in three of the four bedrooms and an “internal laundry of generous size” in Wollongong, New South Wales.
Water and electricity bills were included in the $725 a week rent.
“If it is listed, it is available. Please don’t ask if it is still available,” the landlord wrote above the ad.
However community members spotted another listing by the same landlord with identical pictures just a week later.
However this time it was advertised for $950 a week.
Other subtle changes include swapping the main picture to one of the living room instead of the dull exterior.
The landlord adding a similar warning: “If the ad is up, it’s available (so pls do NOT ask if it’s available).”
Side-by-side images of the two listings were shared on a Facebook group where prospective tenants discuss ads.
One member said: “Found in the wild! The photo on the right was a week ago, the one on the left is today. Same place.
“It’s interesting that some people think this is OK.”
Other members of the group vented their fury at the “greedy” landlord.
One said: “Yeah, because let’s emphasise on the crisis and regional homeless issues.
“I swear, they’re so ridiculous I hope they never rent it out.”
Another said: “Feds need to cap rents in all states. It’s just greed and absolutely disgusting that this is allowed.”
In another confusing twist, the house is still listed on property sites for the original rent of $725 – so it is unclear which is the official rate.
Last week we told how a tenant was served an eviction notice after he had a few mates stay the night.
The furious landlady blasted them as “freeloaders” and kicked the tenant out of her granny flat in Sydney.
Last month another tiny space in Sydney was branded the “world’s worst rental”.
Pictures showed a bed crammed into an outdoors balcony with just a tarpaulin keeping out the elements.
It was listed for a staggering £600 a month.
In November a greedy landlord was summonsed to court in Adelaide.
She had allegedly converted a one-bed flat into a “five-bedroom flatshare” without consent from the council.