Bay Area Rental Adds $200 Remote-Work Fee to $3,250 Cottage, Fueling Online Backlash
Updated
Updated · The Independent · Jul 24
Bay Area Rental Adds $200 Remote-Work Fee to $3,250 Cottage, Fueling Online Backlash
3 articles · Updated · The Independent · Jul 24
Summary
$200 a month was added for tenants who work from home at a 535-square-foot Walnut Creek cottage listed for $3,250 with utilities and internet included.
Reddit users split over the surcharge: critics called it a cash grab, while some said all-day use of air conditioning, heat, lights and internet can raise landlord utility costs.
The one-bedroom accessory dwelling unit in the Northgate neighborhood was last available on Rent.com on Monday, suggesting it was rented or pulled from the market.
The listing tapped into wider housing pressure in the Bay Area, where average rent is $3,495 a month—about 75% above the U.S. average—as remote-work fees remain uncommon elsewhere.