A tenant’s good deed of renting out a tent in his backyard for $125 a week has come under fire as people accuse him of “disgraceful” behaviour in wanting to make money off of homeless people, but he says he is simply “doing his bit” during a housing crisis.
Mark decided to rent out the tent from his home in Hobart, Tasmania, to help an Australian in need; his friend Helen Quinn posted the ad on Facebook on Saturday.
The tent was pitched for one person and included all expenses except food, and the ad read: ‘Emergency accommodation for one person.’
But the reaction to the announcement was immediate: some said they would rather sleep outside than in their backyard.
“I’d rather be sitting under the overpass along the highway than pay some jerk $125 for the pleasure of having his backyard frozen,” one wrote.
“This is a disgrace. I know someone who was trying to charge a pet sitter for looking after their pet. This is much worse than that,” said one.
Another added: “You can’t charge a homeless person $125 a week to sleep in a tent. I must have read that wrong.”
But Mark defended his actions, saying he is also a tenant and has opened his home and backyard to struggling families and individuals over the years.
A Tasmanian man’s (pictured) advert for renting a tent for $125 a week in his backyard has been criticised, but he has defended his actions and said he wanted to help someone who was struggling.
The rental crisis has hit Tasmania hard, with tenants now paying $7000 more a year in rent than they did five years ago (pictured, tenants queuing to view a property)
The Tasmanian, who receives a disability pension, said he currently has seven people living in his rental home and says he offers help to people who cannot afford a place on their own. Mercury reported.
Mark pays $450 a week for his home in suburban Risdon Vale and rents out a converted tin shed on site as well as rooms in his house.
She also has a lady who rents out a trailer and used to live outside a Kmart and sleep on cement before she moved in.
“I have often supported people who have no financial resources at all,” he said.
“A guy was here for two years and couldn’t pay anything.”
The retiree shared that his generosity has not been without its problems: residents “with anger issues” have stolen from him and physically abused him.
But the Tasmanian is proud to have been able to help people and said one former prisoner with his partner and child had nowhere to go when he left jail, and they now have a home with him.
Many homeless people have no choice but to pitch a tent in a public space, which can be dangerous (pictured: tents for homeless people in Brisbane)
Mark said the former prisoner and his family pay just $350 a fortnight for a room in their home and that covers internet, electricity and food.
The generous pensioner said his home is now “a bit of a community” and added that he declares all payments he receives to Centrelink.
Mark’s friend said she was “not surprised” by the reaction, but found it “disappointing.”
Ms Quinn described the pensioner as a “lovely person” and “very generous”, saying he bought a new tent for $600 after someone stole his old one.
Mark from Hobart wants to help people: the tent he rents in his backyard for $125 a week includes all expenses except food (pictured: homeless people camping in a city park)
Mark also evicted residents who used drugs after telling them not to.
The Tasmanian said he was simply “trying to do his bit”.
“If people went to the fairgrounds, they would be charged $40 or more a night,” he said.
According to the Tasmanian Tenants Union, the average tenant in Tasmania now pays a whopping $7,000 more in annual rent compared to five years ago. Yahoo reported.
According to SQM Research, the average rent in Australia is now $692 for a house and $544 for a unit per week.
