Sleepout

Back when we were apartment hunting, we checked out the whole range of apartments, just out of curiosity.  Like, what kind of apartment can you get for $1200+ a week?  Answer:  an insanely nice one.  What kind of apartment can you get for less than $100 a week?  A sleepout.

I don't know if this is another uniquely Kiwi thing, but it's certainly new to me.   A sleepout is a little cabin, maybe 2-3 meters on a side, that's built in the backyard of a family's main house.  They're wired for electricity, but have no water hookups due to NZ's odd zoning/property tax laws.   So they make a cozy little private bedroom, but the renter has to come into the main house to use the bathroom or kitchen.  Sleepout rentals usually come with the option to have meals with the family. 

Here, take a look.  'Extreme' efficiency apartments.  Kind of like living in a garden shed.  It costs more to rent a downtown carpark than one of these.

Huh.