Yes, you have read that correctly, but thankfully the property situation in the UK hasn’t quite reached such desperate levels, although there are plenty of unscrupulous landlords who are more than happy to let out a shed in their backyard, describing it as a “compact bedsit”.
China is one of the most populous places on earth and in the cities millions of people live shoulder to shoulder in high-rise buildings where space is at a premium. Even so, it is still hard to imagine how a 6-story building can be converted into an astonishing fifty-five capsule bedsits, but in order to maximise his income, one enterprising landlord in China has managed to do just that.
The building in Wuhan City in the Hubei Province now contains fifty-five tiny shoebox style homes. Each one is on average 4.5m2, but despite the cramped space, the capsules still manage to combine a sleeping area, bathroom and kitchen. Many are also shared, so it probably pays to get along well with your flatmate.
Considering the tiny amount of living space per capsule, you might expect rental homes like this to be less than popular, but according to the article in the Daily Mail, the average rent in the city is much too expensive for many young people on low wages, so ‘capsule homes’ are very much in demand. This might seem unbelievable, but looking at the pictures that accompany the article, I can see that despite the cramped living space the capsules are actually pretty cosy; some of the tenants have even made room for their pets!
