Earlier this month, a reader sent us a tip about a horror rental that they came across on Craigslist. The now-deleted post advertised a vintage Airstream located in East Oakland for $1,000 a month. The Airstream came with the basics, such as a kitchenette, a bed, WiFi, and a full bathroom. The catch? The toilet didn’t have functional plumbing, and the waste had to be emptied out by the renter. “Just an Airstream in East Oakland, and you have to dump out your own shit,” they wrote in the post.
How common are these plumbing-free Airstream/RV rentals? We already know that the housing crisis in the Bay Area increases with every passing day, and some displaced residents are forced to live in such spaces. Unfortunately, for some Bay Area residents, even these odd rentals tend to be too expensive, which forces some people to live in their own broken-down vehicles.
Oakland has seen a 131% increase in the number of people living in their cars, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. And living in a vehicle isn’t the only obstacle that these folks have to face. Homeless people also have to worry about where they can legally pull up the parking brake for the night, and they are often at risk of getting their vehicles impounded per the Oakland Post.
As the housing crisis expands, what can city officials across the Bay Area do to help with this issue? Building more affordable housing is part of the solution, but what can be done in the meantime besides mocking questionable rentals? We’d love to read what you readers have to say.
In the meantime, here are a few RVs available for rent—as well as other rentals we wouldn’t recommend.
Warm roof over your head
For $40 a night, you could stay in this dated RV with ripped curtains by the bed and a makeshift blanket curtain in the dining area. The RV cannot be moved. The ad states that the location is in East Oakland, but the map doesn’t pinpoint an exact neighborhood. At least you can have a cat in there.
Studio with one small window
The beige walls and white minimal cabinetry might distract you from the fact this newly built studio has only one small window. It comes with only a microwave and a portable cooktop instead of an actual functional kitchen. At least you don’t have to pay for any utilities (even the WiFi comes at no cost). However, you might get lost in all of its 300 square feet, coming at you for a mere $1,150 a month.
The attic room
Weirdly shaped attic rooms work if you’re a little kid or want to be part of a horror movie. Other than that, why would you want to sleep on a twin bed like you did when you were a child? This attic room, close to Alemany Boulevard in San Francisco, comes cheap, at just under $1,000 a month. In addition to paying rent, you have to pay between $95 and $130 for utilities a month, even though you can use the kitchen only for light cooking.
Housing crisis trend: converted dining rooms
Every space matters when you’re trying to make it work in a housing crisis. Mismatched room dividers have converted this dining room into sleeping quarters with a sliding door that leads to what looks like a patio. The perks: your own full-length mirror, use of the washer and dryer inside the house, and free street parking without any time constraint.
You don’t even deserve a full living room
This brief ad, which is in Spanish, offers half a living room—not a whole one—where you could potentially fit a twin bed. You’ll also share the living room, but no other specifications are given. Ads like this one, and the converted dining room above, are further evidence that we’ve reached peak housing crisis.
Yes, this is a shed
If you’ve ever wanted to live in your own “cabin-style private dwelling,” then this one is for you. The shed comes with a microwave and a small fridge, but there’s a big caveat: If you want to use the bathroom, you have to walk out 30 feet to the basement of the main house. And forget cooking, as there are no facilities available for that kind of nonsense. Since the rent is $865/month, the landlords recommend that you head out to eat instead. “Restaurants are very close,” the ad reads.
Our friend Rick will never go away
This column wouldn’t be complete without Rick’s monthly space for rent. This time around, he has a trailer with a mattress (porta potty included) that he wants to rent only to a male tenant. “This is too hard for a female. Sorry, and good luck in your house searching,” writes Rick. This claustrophobic and likely very illegal space is going for $400 a month.
That’s it for this month’s hellscape of available rentals. We have one more month to go before the year ends. If you come across any questionable rentals offering “holiday discounts,” send them our way!
See you in December with more!
