A historical “palatial Victorian residence” nestled in the humble inner-city suburb of North Melbourne has raised eyebrows after it was listed on the rental market for a staggering price, despite being a little worse for wear.
The six-bedroom, two bathroom Dryburgh Street property – which was built in 1884 – is up for lease for $1500 a week and is a mere walking distance from some of the city’s most sought-after attractions and services.
It boasts generous-sized bedrooms split between two floors which are connected by a “grand staircase”, as well as a “spacious ballroom with double doors”, a library, courtyard, and a wraparound balcony and veranda.
Known as Milton Hall, the property was designed by the same architects who mapped out the Collingwood, Fitzroy, Northcote and Daylesford Town Halls, with it debuting in the Advertiser newspaper upon its completion.
“Milton Hall residence offers a grandeur experience of yesteryear,” its realestate.com.au description reads.
However the once stunning “period architecture” appears to be showing its age, with the 139-year-old building not up to scratch for today’s sharp-eyed renters.
Since being listed online, the property has become a hot topic among Australians on Twitter thanks to one observant Melburnian.
The man who appears to be an advocate for tenants, posted a photo of one of the property’s bedrooms, and captioned it by urging Twitter users to “zoom in anywhere, I dare you”.
Viewers quickly erupted after observing the room’s state, with large cracks seen sprawled across the roof, another crack cascading down the corner of a wall and several more cracks in the adjacent study.
The only appealing aspect of the room is the modern furniture used to bring a pop of colour to its “sad” state.
Unfortunately the cracking isn’t a one-room situation, with several other cracks spotted throughout the house’s passageways, living rooms, the library and in its tiny, outdated kitchen.
“It’ll literally fall over if you sneeze,” the rental advocate later commented.
“It hasn’t even been connected to the NBN yet (it’s ready to connect), the listing photos have furnishings covering up what is probably the worst of the damage, and the ceilings are all in desperate need of repair. The kitchen is the smallest I’ve ever seen in a 6 beddy.”
An Aussie mum added: “Apart from its condition, which is definitely not $1500 worth, I wouldn’t pay $300 to live in such a place. For that sum you get a small beach house in one of Sydney’s top coastal suburbs at the moment.”
Meanwhile a fan of the Netflix series Stranger Things compared the property to the fictional program’s alternate universe.
“Oh God, it’s the Demogorgon. The Upside Down should be expected Down Under, I guess.”
A fourth woman added: “I lived on Dryburgh St in my early 20s. We had no heating and no insulation, cold draughts coming through cracks, three of us used to sleep in the lounge in front of a tiny old fireplace with a tiny fire to get through winter. At least rent was cheap then!”
It’s understood the uproar allegedly prompted the real estate agent to update the listing to inform prospective tenants the property would receive a fresh coating of much-needed paint.
“Property undergoing full internal repaint, inspections will be available from mid July onwards,” the update to the listing read.
The listing has since been deleted, with a real estate agent telling news.com.au the ad will be restored when the repaint is completed.
“The property is currently undergoing extensive plaster repairs, repainting and rewiring (including heating) throughout to comply with the RTA,” the agent said.
“Whilst we have used dated photos from a previous sales campaign in the listing, we do explain the scope and status of the current works in the online listing. Further, the availability date is listed as only from the end of July when the works are due for completion.
“The rental appraised reflects a 6 bedroom, 2 bathroom residence located 3km from the CBD, with the amenity of trains, trams and buses. We of course seek feedback on price during the campaign from prospective renters who come through the property.”
Not all viewers appeared phased by the property’s state, with one person criticising complainers for thinking the property is photoshopped to look less shabby.
“It’s a six bedroom house, the place is massive. $1,500 a week sounds like a bargain,” one man said.
“This looks like one of the least touched up real estate joints of all time, there are cracks and paint peeling all over the place, it’s an old house.”
Others said the rental payment was reasonable if the property was to be used as a share house.
“Good price considering it’s six bedrooms. only $250/per room,” one tweet read.
“Other bedrooms are not as bad as that one so yes, I can see it renting for $1500 per week,” a second said.
The house – which sits on a 449sqm block – was sold in October last year for just under $3.5 million.
“Milton Hall showcases period details throughout, from the balcony columns, moulded brickwork, and decorative cast iron frieze work of its imposing facade, through fireplaces, ceiling roses, ornate cornices and moulded archways inside,” the ad for the property read back then.
“Its sale offers a rare opportunity to restore this heritage ‘home on Hotham Hill’ to its original grandeur.”
There are several minimum standards a rental property must meet before a tenant can move in, Consumer Affairs Victoria states on its website.
These standards apply to rental agreements made from March 29, 2021 and are divided into 14 categories which all rental properties must meet.
Such requirements cover the use of locks, bins, toilets, rooms such as the kitchen, bathroom and laundry and also cover the structural soundness, and overall safety of the property.
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Other categories include adequate windows and window coverings, lighting, ventilation and heating.
In regards to mould and damp patches: “all rooms must be free from (such developments) caused by or related to the building structure”.
“The property must be structurally sound and weatherproof,” the website also states.
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