Premium

Chinese woman’s unconventional solution to soaring housing costs: Renting a bathroom at office for Rs 545 a month

Earning 2,700 yuan (about Rs 31,800) a month, Yang struggled to afford proper accommodation.

For privacy, the woman hangs a large cloth over the bathroom stall doors and sets up a folding bed each night (Image source: South China Morning Post)

The surging rent prompts many individuals to adjust to low-standard living situations, but one young woman in China has found an unconventional way to cope with the issue. Instead of renting an apartment, an 18-year-old woman in Hunan has chosen to live in a bathroom at her workplace to avoid steep rent prices.

Yang works at a furniture store in Hunan. Faced with the high rent of 800 yuan (approximately Rs 9,415) per month, she negotiated with her employer’s wife to use the company’s restroom as her living space, the South China Morning Post reported.

Earning 2,700 yuan (about Rs 31,800) a month, Yang struggled to afford proper accommodation and instead agreed to pay just five pounds (around Rs 545) per month to cover electricity and water expenses. Although she initially offered 21 pounds (Rs 2,290) per month, her boss’s wife declined, allowing her to stay for a much lower amount.

Story continues below this ad

Yang had the option to sleep in the showroom, but she found the open space too exposed and unsettling at night. She chose the restroom for its privacy and security, the reports said.

For nearly a month, Yang has turned the bathroom stall into a makeshift home. For privacy, she hangs a large cloth over the stall doors and sets up a folding bed each night. She has adapted her routine by installing a clothing rail for storage, doing her laundry in the bathroom, drying clothes on the building’s rooftop, and cooking her meals with a portable hob.

Also Read | German woman gives birth to 10th child at 66, 45 years after her first

To maintain cleanliness, Yang keeps the restroom clean to get rid of unpleasant smells while she sleeps. Her unique living situation is grabbing eyeballs on social media, with Yang sharing glimpses of her daily life on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, SCMP reported.