Here we are at the beginning of a new decade, and there’s little to no hope of the housing crisis in the Bay Area improving any time soon.
The ever-decreasing pool of affordable housing has resulted in some people taking unorthodox measures to secure a roof over their heads, such as East Bay residents Dominique Walker and Sameerah Karim, two single, homeless mothers who took over a vacant property in West Oakland in November — a house owned by Wedgewood Properties, a Redondo Beach-based real estate investment group. The two women, along with countless supporters, want the developer to sell them the home that has been vacant for years. In early December, the owners issued an eviction notice to the tenants, and last week Alameda County Superior Court Judge Patrick McKinney issued a tentative ruling in favor of Wedgewood, despite the women and their supporters’ claims that housing is a human right.
While Karim and Walker are fighting to stay, many others are simply giving up and heading elsewhere. Newly released census data from October 2018 shows that around 700,000 people left California to another U.S. state in 2018. About 500,000 people moved from another state into California over the same time period.
For those trying to stay in the Bay Area, Craigslist continues to provide its usual selection of dodgy, creepy, and downright dangerous rental options. Here’s this month’s collection.
A tiny ‘studio’ that isn’t actually a studio
This alleged studio is actually a van! Perhaps the folks advertising this rental read our column last month and caught wind of our man Rick, who lists broken-down vehicles with inflatable mattresses for rent down in San Jose. The ad comes with a YouTube tour of the vehicle, located in San Leandro, referred to as “The Bulgarian,” including such delights as pine sidings, a compost toilet built in right next to the bed, a modified roof with a skylight, and plenty of other “amenities.” If you don’t want to rent it at $600 per month, you can buy it for $12,000. What a bargain.
A whopping 160 square feet—with no kitchen
This studio comes in relatively cheap at $995 a month, located near the San Francisco Zoo. However, any cash you may save on rent will need to be pocketed for takeout, as the place doesn’t have a kitchen, or even a microwave. Even if you bought an appliance or two, cooking is forbidden. “Why pay for a kitchen if you don’t use it? There are ample restaurants nearby on Taraval Street and Sloat Blvd,” the ad reads.
A tiny home with retro-looking mini appliances
While TV shows like Tiny House Nation, Tiny House Hunters, and countless others have made tiny homes seem appealing, not all are created equal. This 288-square-foot house in San Mateo looks promising—until you see the photos of the red and retro-looking appliances: a small microwave, a hot plate, and one of the tiniest fridges we’ve ever seen. Cute but not practical. For nearly $1,700, you would think you‘d at least get a normal-size mini fridge, not a mini mini fridge.
Nob Hill dining room space
With this interesting rental, you don’t get an actual bedroom. Instead, you get to rent a space in the dining room with a twin bed located directly next to the dining room table. The rent you pay grants you bedding that gets changed every two weeks, plenty of towels, and a little side table with a light. Intriguingly, the ad says the home has a history of famous people who previously resided in the home. Unfortunately, it doesn’t name any actual names.
Yet another creepy ‘companionship’ ad
These gross and questionable ads pop up pretty much every month — their creepiness makes most readers click the flag option. For $350 a month, you get to share this apartment in East Oakland—“same bed, same room,” the ad reads from the man advertising it, who suggests, “Help clean and buy what you food you want. We can separate the cupboards and fridge if you would like.” We pose the question: What are the folks over at Craigslist doing to prevent these postings?
Shared bathroom and no kitchen
Here’s another “studio” with an intriguing configuration, this one located in North Oakland. The building apparently has three units within the same larger unit—the front occupied by the homeowners, with two studios separated by a hallway that share the bathroom. Whoever rents their portion (the ad calls for female applicants only) will share the bathroom with the tenant occupying the other unit. Oh, also, there’s no kitchen.
That’s all we have for now. Have you come across a horror rental? Do you have a scary rental tale to share with us? Let us know. We want to hear from you!
