Canberra is a weird and wonderful place. Its Airbnb offerings are no exception.
There are over 200 Airbnbs available for rent in Canberra, with private rooms starting at $29, and entire apartments or houses available from $71 per night.
Here are two of the strangest Airbnb listings in the nation’s capital:
1. The Harry Potter cupboard
One of the cheapest rooms available in Canberra (and no, this is not a joke) is the Harry Potter cupboard. That’s right, for only $30 you can rent a cosy cupboard under the stairs to spend the night, just like your favourite wizard.
This luxurious listing comes with a comfy bed, hooks for your belongings and free wifi.
One of the tenants of the inner north Harry Potter house (possibly the Dursley residence?), Stephen, says the listing started as a joke.
“We gave it a Harry Potter theme and priced it around the same as a hostel in the city. We weren’t expecting too many replies – I mean, it’s a cupboard – but we thought that the occasional guest would keep things interesting and the extra household cash couldn’t be bad,” he says.
“But within a few weeks we couldn’t keep up with the enquiries and were rejecting requests just because we didn’t have time to discuss each one.”
Stephen says cupboard guests have included backpackers, tradies and students. Some come for a cheap place to stay, while others want the Harry Potter experience.
“We really have to make sure when anyone enquires that they understand exactly what it is. It’s a cupboard under the stairs. But while I feel it is pretty clear in the description, we’ve still had requests from families asking if they and their three kids could stay!”
2. Melba Street Mansion
At the opposite end of the price scale, you can stay in this Melba St mansion in Downer.
Unlike the Harry Potter cupboard, this listing is definitely a joke. The host, Nick, is less magical wizard, more classic Internet troll.
The description states that for the low, low price of only $10,002 a night you can sleep in a futon style bed, in a residence described as an igloo. (Nick, is it a mansion or an igloo? Make up your mind.)
The only potential downside I can see is that Nick does promise to, and I quote, “eat your children”.
I asked Nick about staying in the mansion/igloo. I told him he was welcome to eat my children, as they’re quite calorie dense and I’m trying to watch my figure.
He replied that he often keeps children in the freezer for eating in more calorie-controlled portions (smart), and advised me to leave my $20,000 cash (for a weekend booking) under the doormat and await further instruction.
Well trolled Nick, well trolled.
Have you had any interesting experiences in Airbnb accommodations? Let us know in the comments!
Loading ...
