Vancouver rentals: Parked travel trailer without plumbing offered for $650/month

A parked travel trailer is being offered online as a "private bedroom" for $650 a month, which includes access to a bathroom, kitchen and laundry machines in the adjacent house. (Craigslist)

A travel trailer without plumbing parked in the driveway of an East Vancouver home is being offered for $650 a month, in the latest eyebrow-raising Craigslist ad to emerge from the city's increasingly unaffordable rental market.

The post advertises the trailer as a "private bedroom," and promises the tenant would have access to the kitchen, bathroom and laundry machines inside the adjacent home.

"You'll love this," the ad reads. "Clean and cozy place, quiet neighbourhood."

The landlord prohibits smoking both inside and outside the trailer, along with any drugs, pets, parties or "overnight visitors." The listing also stipulates the tenant must be fully employed, a full-time student, or visiting Canada on a work visa.

"References from employer, former landlord (or parents if newly moving out for the first time), and/or current school enrolment verification are required," it reads.

Prospective renters who only want to stay for one or two months are asked to pay $800 a month, $150 more than those who agree to stay for three months or longer.

Robert Patterson, a lawyer with the Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre, told CTV News listings such as these "showcase just how dire the housing crisis is in B.C. and Vancouver."

They also highlight the need for long-term affordable housing solutions, such as co-op housing, non-profit housing and other non-market alternatives, Patterson said.

"While we've had more rental units coming on the market the last few years, the problem is they have been luxury units – or luxury-priced units, at least – that average tenants can't afford," Patterson said.

"And oftentimes, they come at the expense of destroying affordable units."

According to B.C. Housing, rent is considered affordable when it accounts for 30 per cent or less of a household's gross income. That makes the trailer an affordable option for a single person making just under $2,200 a month before taxes.

But many people pay significantly more than 30 per cent in Vancouver, which remains one of the most expensive rental markets in the country. A recent report found the average rent in the city was $2,925 in April, up nearly 30 per cent from April 2021.

Patterson said the people behind high-priced, low-space rentals often fall into one of two categories: struggling homeowners trying to squeeze more money out of their properties, or "pretty rapacious" investors seeking to maximize profits.

In some cases, however, the situations are created by desperate tenants who are “trying to create a living situation they can afford,” Patterson added.

CTV News reached out to the person behind the Craigslist ad, but has not received a response.

For anyone considering renting the trailer, Patterson noted some of the listed demands may not be enforceable – including the ban on overnight visitors, which he said is likely challengeable under the Residential Tenancy Act.

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Lisa Steacy