"Paying 10,000 Won a Month to Live in Company Bathroom"…Story of an 18-Year-Old Woman

Living in a 6-Square-Meter Restroom with a Folding Bed
Chose Restroom Life Due to Inability to Pay Rent
"Left Hometown at 16 and Became Self-Supporting"

A story has emerged about a woman living in her company's restroom due to expensive rent in China.

A story has emerged about a woman in China who, burdened by high rent, is living in her company's restroom. Photo by SCMP

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 31st (local time), 18-year-old Yang Mo is from a rural area in Hubei Province in southern China and currently works in sales at a furniture store in Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province. Yang's monthly salary is 2,700 yuan (about 550,000 KRW), which is about three times lower than the city average of 7,500 yuan (about 1,520,000 KRW).

The report states that local rent ranges from 800 to 1,800 yuan (about 160,000 to 360,000 KRW). Yang cannot afford to pay rent with her salary, so with the company owner's permission, she decided to live in the office restroom, paying 50 yuan (about 10,000 KRW) per month. The restroom is 6 square meters in size and is equipped with two traditional squat toilets and one washbasin.

To live there, Yang set up household items such as a folding bed, a small pot, curtains, and hangers in the restroom. SCMP reported, "She has been living there for a month," adding, "She cleans the restroom daily and sometimes cooks noodles at night." However, since this is originally the company restroom, other employees still use it during the day.

Yang said, "The toilets are clean and there is no smell," and "The company monitors the area 24 hours a day, so I feel safe." She added, "I do not lock the door, and nothing has ever been stolen."

The company owner, Mr. Xu, explained that he allowed her to live in the restroom because he understands the financial difficulties young people face. He said, "I know the challenges of becoming independent," and "We considered unused office space or a room costing 400 yuan (about 81,000 KRW) per month, but due to safety concerns and proximity to work, she chose the company restroom." Mr. Xu also said he plans to move Yang to a newly remodeled office.

The story of living in the restroom became a hot topic after Yang shared it on her social media. She currently has more than 15,000 followers. Although some suspected that she fabricated the story, Yang said, "I left my hometown at 16 and started supporting myself."

She said, "My parents often ask for money for my younger sibling's education," and "I spend 300 to 400 yuan (about 61,000 to 81,000 KRW) per month and save the rest to buy a house and a car."