Renters’ fury over Bristol garden cabin for rent at £800 - with landlord access required ‘a few hours a day’

An advert for a Bristol garden cabin with a monthly rent of £800 has been met with fury by renters, not least because the landlord still wants to use the property during the day.

Described as a ‘lovely cabin’ in Cotham/Kingsdown, the outdoor shed-like property has one bedroom, a bathroom and kitchen.

The advert posted on several Facebook groups says the cabin has a ‘lovely cosy feel’, is available for three months from September 24 and costs £800 plus bills.

The advert goes on to say: “Looking for someone who doesn’t work from home at least a few days a week as I will use the space for a few hours in the working day a few times a week. Might be good for a student or a professional.”

Within hours of being posted, angry renters in Bristol have taken to social media to comment on the advert, particularly the fact the landlord requires regular access despite charging such a high rent plus bills.

Commenting on Twitter, @vicarbernice fumed: “£800 for a shed you’re not allowed to use all the time cus the landlord wants to be in it unsupervised for a few hours a day.”

Twitter user @Georgia24 commented: “I wonder if the landlord will be contributing to those bills, given they’ll be dropping in regularly” and @somersetbagpuss added “Presumably he’s going to sit in there during the day, using your heating, whilst you’re out”.

“If the tenant is classed as a lodger, which it sounds like they might be, then they basically don’t have any right to quiet enjoyment,” said @mippy. “This arrangement is basically like having your childhood bedroom back, except you have to pay your mum £800 now.”

And Kamaldeep Singh said: “£800 for a cabin that they don’t have permanent access to? How can you expect £800 but demand they don’t use it sometimes?”

Research published this week by property website Zoopla has revealed that renters are favouring smaller properties such as flats, which may be more affordable to run, as living costs rise.

Zoopla said it has seen an increase in demand for smaller flats as people feel the cost-of-living squeeze, with fewer renters looking for two and three-bedroom houses.

Its report said: “We have seen a steady reduction in the proportion of renters looking for two and three-bed houses, and an increase in demand for one and two-bed flats over 2021 and 2022. This trend has been accelerating in recent weeks.”

It said the average rent in the city had increased by £115 per month since last year, reaching £1,051 per calendar month – swallowing up just over a third (34.4%) of the average income of a single earner.

Smaller properties may be cheaper to rent as well as less expensive to run in terms of energy costs.

Bristol World has contacted the landlord of the ‘lovely cabin’ for comment.