Grubby Sofa For Rent In Ibiza For 340 GBP A Month

An advert offering a “grubby” sofa for rent for 375 EUR (340 GBP) a month
has caused outrage on the tourist island of Ibiza.

The Facebook advertisement stated: “Sofa for rent in ample living/dining
room with very nice views from the balcony. There are three of us and we
need to reduce expenses to feed ourselves and be able to rest.”

The advertisement stipulated that the current residents were looking for “a
quiet tenant with a job who does not frequent parties and who has good
vibes”.

The offer was accompanied by a view of the balcony and a photo of the sofa
which is less than two metres long (6.6 feet), and has been described as
“grubby” on social media.

One of the tenants offering to rent the sofa asked people not to blame them:
“There are no cheap rents on the island and in all honesty I think it is
sad, but we do not set the prices.”

Living space is at a premium in Ibiza, particularly during the summer months
when the island is packed with tourists and seasonal workers.

The situation has been exacerbated by the trend for home owners to advertise
their private properties as ‘tourist accommodation’ on online portals such
as Airbnb, pushing up rents to astronomical prices.

Rent prices for a single room in a shared flat are often listed in excess of
500 EUR (452 GBP) a month in Ibiza, where wages are traditionally very low.

There have been numerous reports of workers forced to share tents, caravans
and even balcony floor space.

The advert has since been taken down, although it is unclear whether this
was because of the outrage it caused on social media or whether the
advertisers found a suitable tenant.