Billed as 'micro studio,' Craigslist user tries to rent Vancouver bathroom with bed inside

An image from a since-deleted Craigslist post shows a 'micro studio' for rent in Vancouver.

VANCOUVER — The number of bedrooms and bathrooms is common on real estate listings, but one Craigslist poster had a different approach.

The bedroom and bathroom are one and the same.

The listing, which has since been removed, describes the rental unit as a "newly renovated micro studio" in Vancouver's West End.

At just 160 square feet, "micro" is not necessarily inaccurate, though "studio" is arguable. The post shows what appears to be a large bathroom with a bed inside.

According to the Craigslist post, the "furnished apartment" is located on Barclay and Bute streets, and is non-smoking. There is laundry in the building and street parking available, the would-be landlord wrote.

For $680 a month, the successful applicant would find themselves in a space with, according to the listing, granite finishing, storage space, a hot plate, a bed, a mini fridge, large window and brand new porcelain flooring. Not to mention a limited commute to another porcelain feature – the toilet – which is a short distance from, and in full view of, the bed.

The listing suggests the renter would be on a three-month lease, with the option to extend. Pets are not allowed, and there is no kitchen.

"This unit is ideal for a single individual looking to live downtown at an affordable rate, and who does not need much space," the landlord wrote, adding that the unit is available Aug. 1 or earlier.

The listing may offer some a laugh, but it's also a reflection of the real estate situation in a city where affordable housing is hard to come by.

A June report from rental site PadMapper showed the median rent for new one-bedroom listings in Vancouver was $1,950.

And it's not much cheaper to rent in municipalities outside the city. Burnaby was Canada's third priciest city last month, according to PadMapper, with landlords of one-bedroom units looking for a median of $1,700 a month.

The site did not provide data on the median for studios – "micro" or otherwise – but in a region with a vacancy rate that is often hovering around one per cent, one can infer that it's higher than $680 for most new listings.

The most recent data from Statistics Canada suggested a median household income for someone not in a census family, a category that includes those who live alone, is just $30,540 in the City of Vancouver.

Factoring in job loss due to the pandemic, it's not surprising some may resort to a bathroom-bedroom combination.