Mattress space sold by plucky students
18/09/2009
By Michael Ewing
Clever students, who are a little ruthless in their money-making ventures, have been renting mattress space for up to $90 (£48) to overseas pupils at universities in one city, it has been revealed.
According to the Brisbane Times, the area is filled with many of these properties, with one Brisbane home in Sunnybank Hills apparently containing 37 people, with the mattress idea saving space.
Different cultural standards and greed are to blame for the trends, experts believe.
Maria Reis, principal of Queensland Property Investment Solutions, revealed that one 12-bedroom house, which had been leased to one man for $550 (£292) a week, was making up to $6,000 (£3,193) in the same timeframe through illegal subletting.
Ms Reis told the news provider: "They don''t rent rooms, they rent mattress space, and it doesn''t matter whether it is in a bedroom or not. We''ve seen mattresses being rented in hallways, on closed balconies... it is appalling. It''s like living in prison."
Mattresses won''t be an issue for England players in the World Cup, however, as Gareth Simaan, the boss of Cradle Hotels and the five-star Royal Bafokeng Sports Campus where the team will stay in South Africa, has promised extra-large beds to accommodate the likes of Peter Crouch.
