Tiny space described as 'Harry Potter cubby' listed for rent in San Jose

SAN JOSE, Calif. - The Bay Area’s high cost of housing is a widely known fact in the region, and one South Bay man is making an unusual sublet offer to help pay for rent: For $250 and some light chores, he wants to sublet his "Harry Potter cubby" space under a set of stairs in his San Jose apartment.

The sublet space is described to be 3 feet by 10 feet, which "fits a cot perfectly," according to the Craigslist ad. The area can be blocked off, "with some jury-rigging," the listing said.

SEE ALSO: This Bay Area town has the #1 most expensive zip code in the U.S.

It’s in a one bedroom, one bath unit on 5th Street, not far from the San Jose State University campus.

The man who placed the ad wanted to be identified only as Jason and acknowledged that his offer "is blatantly illegal," but he also said, given the high cost of housing, his options are limited.

"It's either that or I rent someone ELSE'S harry potter under-the-stairs cubby, and probably for significantly more," the 40-year-old handyman told KTVU in an email.

He was very open about the drawbacks of the rental space. He said that the apartment is a converted two-car garage that has no insulation.

It's in a high-crime neighborhood, which he said, since he’s not allowing his tenant to invite any guests over, it might not be a problem. "Sorry bout that, but seriously, who'd want to come visit this place?" Jason wrote on his Craigslist ad.

The other restrictions that rule out a potential roommate are a criminal record and any substance addictions. And no pets are allowed. 

Jason said the person is ideally "a nice nerdy gamer," with no preference for male or female.  

The subletter will have access to the kitchen, internet, all appliances, his television, Xbox, utilities, and plates and silverware.

He said other perks are that there’s gated parking, the apartment has air conditioning and heat, and he can run a D&D (Dungeons and Dragons) game for the roommate.  

Jason also noted, "I'm a pretty good cook, and willing to share usually." 

As for the chores part of the rental agreement, the South Bay resident said he’s asking they be done twice a week and will include sweeping, cleaning kitchen counters, and doing the dishes.

"Takes me about half an hour," he said, adding, "All in all, $250 and 2 hours of work per month is pretty good, most people seem to think."

Jason that he’s received a high amount of interest, roughly 30 inquiries since placing the ad. He plans to show the space to some prospective renters later this week. 

The feedback has been mostly positive, with a few nasty comments, he shared. 

Jason said he had no intention of making any money off the agreement, as that would only contribute to the problem of affordable housing.

"If I wanted to make a profit, I'd find someone who wants the bedroom and I'd pay the $250 and sleep in the cubby and do the chores myself!" the handyman said.

He noted that he’s seen ads asking for $600 to $1200 for half a living room with no kitchen access. 

"Honestly, I think most people are just flabbergasted I'm renting it for so LOW," Jason said.

A recent analysis placed San Jose as the third most expensive city in the U.S. when it comes to rent, with the average rent at $3,329. The only two cities that were more expensive than San Jose, according to the research from Rental Real Estate, were New York and San Francisco with average rents of $4,035 and $3,411 respectively.

Jason expressed frustration over the high cost of rent and said that he's having a tough time making ends meet.

He said that as a college graduate with multiple degrees, he's angry to be in this situation. "I did not expect to be," he said, "here... at this stage in my life."