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Modified apartment with bathroom in lounge room advertised for $400 a week as Adelaide's rental crisis deepens

A North Adelaide studio apartment that features a bathroom in the kitchen.  (Supplied)

An "outstanding location" and "easy, low maintenance lifestyle" is what's promised to prospective renters at 4/201 O'Connell Street.

"Just bring your clothes and move into this gorgeous property in the heart of prestigious North Adelaide," the listing offers.

"This spacious, fully-furnished upstairs studio offers the lifestyle that everyone deserves."

As always, real estate is a matter of perspective.

What an agent may describe as a "great sized modern bathroom," a discerning renter may suggest is a "Perspex sh****g cube in the middle of your kitchen."

The 25 square metre apartment is one of seven units up for rent at 4/201 O'Connell Street, in the inner-city suburb of North Adelaide.

It features amenities like a kitchen without a stove, a fridge that could be confused for a dishwasher, a bathroom adjacent to the kitchen, and no laundry.

All this could be yours for between $400 and $420 a week.

 The 25 square metre apartment has been listed for $400 dollars a week. (Supplied: Ray White North Adelaide)

Real estate agent Rachel Lawrie said the listing was "relatively cheaper" than other one-bedroom units on the market, given the rent was inclusive of electricity, gas, water, and internet bills.

"It was converted from an Airbnb to help people struggling to get into Adelaide's rental market," she said.

"We've just successfully helped someone get a new property after living in number 4 for four months…and now they've moved into a fantastic home for 12 months."

According to a rental vacancy report prepared by Domain, Adelaide had the tightest market in the country, with vacancy rates in May sitting at 0.3 per cent.

The growing rental crisis is reflected in price rises of about 7.2 per cent, according to the latest cost of living report from the South Australian Council of Social Services.

Agent insists unit meets all specifications

There are about 800 properties listed on South Australia's 'substandard property register' – but 201 O'Connell Street isn't one of them.

Under the state's laws, all residential properties must meet minimum requirements like having an oven and cooktop, bathroom facilities that provide adequate privacy, and toilet facilities that do not open directly into a kitchen.

If they don't, landlords can be slapped with rent control measures to ensure tenants aren't paying full market price for a substandard property.

Ms Lawrie said the listing met all building code specifications, otherwise Ray White North Adelaide would not list it.

"For someone to have a dig at us is really frustrating," she said.

"All of the people applying for it have to see it in person, they are aware there's no cooking facilities," she said.

"The glass [in the bathroom] is frosted and tempered. Everything is to code,"

She said the property has already received a "number" of enquiries, and is expected to be tenanted by the end of the week.

When asked to respond to suggestions that the listing confirmed real estate in Adelaide had officially gone "insane" – Ms Lawrie said she believed the market was slowing down.

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