(Ramonde Wong, an Asian-American of New Zealand, lives in a two-bedroom apartment in Sydney. At the top of the list, nine people, most of them international students, lived with him. Mr. Wang, 50, called it "Backpacker's House of delicacy."
When SBS visited the apartment in (Surry Hills), Mount Shali, Mr. Wang said: "it's something new until this freshness fades away."
Up to three people can sleep in each bedroom here. More than half of the living rooms are separated by huge partitions-these are the other three makeshift bedrooms. Some roommates borrowed a narrow enclosed balcony, and their messy single beds crowded into a corner.
"this is one of the bathrooms, which is shared by seven people." Mr. Wang went on to introduce.
Figures released this month by the Bureau of Statistics show that the number of "severely" overcrowded homes in the new state surged 74 percent in the five years to 2016.
Across Australia, nearly half of residents living in overcrowded housing were immigrants in 2016 (47%). Five years ago, less than 1/3 (31%) were migrants.
Half of this immigrant group comes from India, China, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and is mainly 19-24-year-olds and 25-34-year-olds.
At present, Mr. Wang and his roommate each pay about A $200 a week to co-rent the apartment. He believed that those who had lived with him for eight months were lucky.
"this apartment is cleaner, more modern, more spacious, and can accommodate as many people at the same time." "I will not complain," he said. This is one of the best I've seen so far. "
Over the past month, SBS reporters have found dozens of similar crowded group rental ads on Gumtree, a classified advertising site, and posted online posts to Chinese students on Weibo. "the apartment is five minutes' walk to the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and 15 minutes' walk to the University of Melbourne," wrote one Weibo.
In addition, in September last year, a one-bedroom apartment in (Clarence Street), Clarence Street, Sydney, was rented for A $645. Now, ads for the same apartment appear on Gumtree, a group rental house that accommodates eight people.
