One dollar per flush: Landlord gets flak for coin-operated toilet

Screen grab from imgur/detroyon

Renting an apartment can get tricky these days, especially if you are asked to pay for utilities that should be free to begin with.

An unnamed Melbourne, Australia-based landlord has drawn the ire of netizens after a viral photo exposed his scheme of installing a coin-operated toilet.

According to the Herald Sun, residents of an apartment duplex in Thornbury are being forced to cough up $1 (P50) each time they have to flush the toilet.

Fed up with his unusual living conditions, one of the tenants shared the story on forum-based website Reddit, to ask the community if the landlord was legally allowed to do such a thing.

“I understand in our laundry having to pay for the communal washing machine. But I pay the water bill that goes into my apartment,” the tenant, who goes by the username ‘unlovablepig’ wrote.

“[The landlord] said it was a government incentive to save water. But then why does he get to collect the money?” he added.

Furthermore, the puzzled renter also shared how awkward it is to entertain house guests who are asking to use the bathroom.

“The worst thing is not having any dollar coins on hand. Especially when I have guests over. It’s really embarrassing and gross for them.”

The post concerning the ridiculous toilet-mechanics was originally deleted on the site, as moderators refused to believe its authenticity. However, the tenant posted the photo as “proof” and the story was even picked up by several media outlets.

As expected, a number of users condemned the landlord’s extreme frugality, suggesting it was illegal for him to charge tenants for using the toilet.

One user wrote: “Yes, that is highly illegal,” while another one chimed in “This guy is ripping you off in a most heinous way”.

Others, meanwhile, remained skeptical of the authenticity of the photo and questioned its supposed lack of  sophisticated wiring likely needed for a functional coin operator.

Some users also pointed out that  the tenants could simply access the flush mechanism by lifting the lid of the toilet tank.

The post remains viral online, but as of this writing, the thread has not yet been updated since its initial posting. Khristian Ibarrola

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