If you’ve ever scrolled through Zillow Gone Wild posts on social media, you know that some real estate listings can go viral for all kinds of reasons. From people who have made interesting interior design choices to those structural upgrades that seem to defy gravity, there’s a lot to love (and hate) when looking at homes.
However, a new rental listing is going viral for a unique reason this week, when ABC 10 reported that the landlord added an extra $200 monthly fee to the property for those who work from home. The backlash was swift, and according to Realtor.com the Bay Area rental listing has since been taken off the market.
Now people are worried about whether this was a one-off request, or if this could be the future for renters. Meanwhile, others are already coming up with some hilarious ways to avoid paying the monthly fee.
Here’s what we know.
The Property Was Newly Built and Just Listed for Rent
According to ABC 7, the listing described the property as a 535-square-foot cottage that came fully furnished in Walnut Creek’s Northgate. The rental fee includes the utilities and internet. It also includes access to a private patio and parking area as well.
The cottage is a one-bedroom accessory dwelling unit (ADU), and the asking price was $3,250. While that seems steep for such a small space, the publication notes that rents in the Bay Area are infamously expensive, and they average 81 percent higher than the national average.
People Had Frustrated Reactions to the News
While people originally reacted to the overall price of the rental—comments on ABC 10’s YouTube video included one person who wrote, “$3200 for a 535 ft cottage. Just let that register.”—people just couldn’t understand why they were being asked to pay more depending on where they worked.