A listing on the SpareRoom website said it would “suit someone who is minimalist” and described it as “the loveliest place to sleep in the spring and summer months”.
Tenants have been asked to pay £750 a month to sleep in a plastic dome in a landlord’s garden.
An ad for the room said, “I’m looking for someone who appreciates the outdoors and someone who loves the outdoors.”
But the resident would have to go inside to cook or go to the toilet.
A listing on the SpareRoom website said it would “suit someone who is minimalist” and described it as “the loveliest place to sleep in the spring and summer months”.
This could be because there is no visible central heating. Another dome is next to it – but appears to have fewer windows and could be a glorified shed.
Both structures sit between established trees and appear to share a common space with tables and chairs.
The listing – in trendy Highgate in north London – comes as rents across the UK continue to soar and millions face a cost of living crisis.
A woman in her 20s was horrified to discover the dome while looking for a home in the capital. She said: “I was shocked. I thought there were regulations to stop this sort of thing.”
Justice for Tenants housing campaigner Alasdair Mcclenahan said: “The cost of living is rising, but wages and incomes are not.
“People have to do whatever it takes to get a roof, or in this case a dome, over their heads and not be out on the street.”
Anyone offering accommodation that does not meet basic standards can face criminal prosecution and fines of more than £100,000.
There are strict rules for ventilation, electricity, cooking and bathroom facilities.
Portia Msimang of Renters’ Rights London said the dome was “cute for a weekend, but a really terrible living situation”.
She added: “I’m afraid a lot of people would willingly pay £750 a month to sleep under PVC in that back garden, such is the housing shortage in London.”
Local single beds in Highgate – home to stars like singer Harry Styles and actor Jude Law – can cost as much as £1,900 a month. Yet the average monthly salary for a 20-year-old nationwide is £2,257.
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Highgate MP Catherine West was appalled by the layout of the dome. She said: “While a ‘geodesic dome’ could be a good way to go glamping, the £750 monthly spend on one in London is a damning indication of our housing crisis.
“Far too many young people are being forced into totally unacceptable solutions like these.
“The government needs to build the homes we need.”
The dome has been listed as a dwelling several times, most recently this month.
But when contacted, the woman who placed the ad denied she ever intended to rent the dome.
She said: “It has been a meditation space for my mental health during lockdown.
“Not for rent. The entry is obsolete, it should have been removed and has now been removed.
Source: mirror