Apartment listing seeks girl to share a bed with a boy and do all of the cooking

Jan 31 2024, 7:35 pm

An advertisement for a basement bedroom in Brampton is causing quite the stir on socials this week, and surprisingly notĀ for the reasons nightmarish rentals in the area usually end up going viral.

Though the room in question does leave a lot to be desired as far as space, furnishings, and overall feel, there is something far more concerning about the listing than the dingy, unexceptional nature of the unit itself: the anachronistic duties the landlord is asking of a would-be tenant.

The ad starts with an immediate red flag, informing applicants that the bedroom ā€” with only oneĀ single bed pictured ā€” is for a “girl” to share with a “boy,”Ā the latter presumably an existing occupant.

Furthermore, along with sharing a bedroom (and potentially a bed) with a strangerĀ of the opposite gender, the new renter will have to take on some responsibilities that feel pretty sexist, including cooking and overall “good behaviour.”

“Girl must know cooking, rest of the work boy will do,” the landlord writes in the listing, adding that the washroom and kitchen are both shared, of course, in addition to the single room.

The girl can do all the cooking and the boy everything elseā€¦
byu/SockAsleep251 inSlumlordsCanada

Even for the low price of $300 a month listed, it seems that netizens are in unanimous agreement that the offer should be a hard no for any renter, especially a young female student, as it appears to be aimed toward.

“That description is worth a lawsuit, but okay,”Ā one person noted on the listing, which was shared to the SlumlordsCanada subredditĀ on Monday with the original poster confirming the ad was from Brampton.

“With the single bed I feel like this is a sneaky way to try and get a girlfriend,” another added.

And yet another statedĀ simply, “this is disgusting.”

On X, the responses were much more lighthearted, with many joking that the listing reads like a marriage proposal or dating site entry.

ThatĀ is actually pretty grim,” one person said earnestly, while another noted that the listing is “actually terrifying because some poor desperate soul will do it because they have no other choice.”

The Toronto area has seen its fair share of horror listings lately, with spaces that haveĀ makeshift roomsĀ withĀ sheets as walls, beds in kitchensĀ and some generally grim andĀ unliveable conditions.

Many geared toward international students, in particular, haveĀ multiple beds in one room, while other renters have tried to lease out half of their own bedĀ or bedroom.

Becky RobertsonBecky Robertson

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