Woman Rents Office Bathroom to Save on Rent

Facing soaring rent prices, an 18-year-old woman in China has found an unconventional housing solution—renting a bathroom at her workplace for just ¥50 (approximately ₹545) per month.

Yang, who works at a furniture store in Hunan, earns ¥2,700 (about ₹31,800) a month. Struggling to afford local rent, which can cost up to ¥800 (approximately ₹9,415) per month, she negotiated with her employer’s wife to use the company restroom as her living space, local media reported.

Initially, Yang offered to pay ¥200 (around ₹2,290) per month for water and electricity, but her employer’s wife declined, allowing her to stay at a significantly lower cost.

Although she had the option to sleep in the showroom, Yang found the open space unsettling at night and opted for the restroom due to its privacy and security.

Yang has been in her makeshift home for nearly a month. She hangs a large cloth over the stall doors for privacy and sets up a folding bed each night. She does her laundry in the bathroom, dries clothes on the building’s rooftop, and cooks her meals on a portable hob. For storage, she uses a clothes rack.

Yang shares regular glimpses of her daily life on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, where she has about 15,000 followers. “As long as I work in the company, I don’t plan to rent a room outside,” she told local media, adding that she feels perfectly safe in her “room”.

Her story has sparked discussions online about China’s increasing housing costs and the extreme measures some individuals take to cope with financial constraints.

Rising rent prices have forced many in China to adapt to low-cost living situations, and Yang’s decision highlights the ongoing struggle for affordable housing in the country.