The 16 Worst Apartments Ever Put Up for Rent

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the 16 worst apartments ever put up for rent

Everyone thinks they live in the worst apartment ever created. "Boo hoo, I could only get in the half renovated floor plan and I don't have a garbage disposal!" Count yourself among the fortunate.

Do you have a window? Do you have privacy? Heck, do you actually have a bathroom?

Take a look at some of the madness out there. Collected from Craigslist postings, found in random forums and social media, and submitted directly to us, here are the absolute worst apartments we've had the displeasure of seeing.

The Worst Apartments in Existence

The saddest part of this is every one of these landlords is being dead serious. They're asking for actual monthly rent money for these.

Where possible, we'll include the price so you can laugh and be horrified. In cities like New York with dense populations, some of these are actually being rented, believe it or not.

1. For Only $850, You Can Relax in Luxury in this Basement / Utility Closet. Just Wear a Hard Hat.

winner of worst apartment

For more than my mortgage, you can watch your head as you dodge exposed plumbing, lightbulbs, and support beams.

It comes with certain amenities you won't find anywhere else, like what appears to be a concrete mixer in the back corner, plywood leaned up against a crumbling wall, and a bunch of random rugs covering a huge pool of moldy water (or possibly blood).

Don't mind the hot water heater and insulation everywhere. We've got more types of plywood in the shed we can drag in through that window there. You can pull up the cardboard from the floor if you want, but it helps keep the place warm.

2. For a Competitive $3,600, this Spacious Area Can Be Yours. We'll Even Install Some Lighting for You.

horrible apartment but spacious

Sure, you could buy another used car every month. But why do that when, for the same price, you can live in this vast, open space. It comes complete with a garage lamp (and complimentary extension cord, on the house) and an elevated platform for our shared water heater.

We'll fix the peeling paint, don't worry about that. What you should concern yourself with is the awesome squishy flooring so you aren't walking on the bare foundation!

Want to install a home gym? No sweat, now you can drop the weights like the pros and not even pay for a gym membership you can no longer afford.

3. At Just $600, this Quaint, Tiny Room is Pure Comfort. There's One Catch Though...

having an apartment so horrible that you have to store your mirror at the foot of the bed where the bed is actually a sofa cushion

The catch, you ask? There's another "apartment" (bedroom) next to yours, and your neighbor has to walk through your room to get in and out of their own. It's not a big deal.

We put some new indoor / outdoor carpet down and might even paint the walls and trim, since the last renter was a smoker.

Sure, it may be small, but look at how big that window is. Put the included mirror on another wall and you can create the illusion of depth and even bounce some light around. Make sure once you bring in a dresser to store your clothes, you can still reach the window.

4. At $475, You Can Split Our Living Room with a Stranger, Separated by Two Bed Sheets Tacked to the Ceiling

semi-private bedroom apartment

This bedroom may appear to be acceptable, but this is all you get. And on the other side of those "curtains" is someone you've never met, snoring his or her butt off who's alarm clock will go off well before yours, or other types of clocks making all kinds of noise or light.

But at least there's hardwood flooring. Don't mind the fact that your bed is pressed up against the opposite wall. Who walks around their apartment anyways? Sleep tight!

5. For $800, You Can Impress Your Friends with Your Plywood 'Artist Loft.'

worst apartment loft

Some dummy on Craigslist tried to promote this apartment as an "Artist Loft." Based on the plywood flooring and the cinder block and particle board bench, I'm guessing this is above their garage. I hope you like being very warm.

Thankfully they classed up the joint by adding in some wood planks as shelving all around. The drywall has squares cut out so you can reach the valves on the water pipes just in case they ever yell up to you to cut it off for them. Don't touch the exposed pipes though, they might be hot.

6. For $740, Risk Falling Off Your Bed Onto the Rest of Your Belongings in This Grungy Yellow Apartment

bunk bed apartment

I hope you like the color yellow. This one-room apartment isn't remotely as bad as the others until you notice the price. This bunk bed set-up is great way of using the space, because you can place a couch or a desk under there with your chest of drawers.

The problem is they put minimal effort. They didn't seal and paint the wood or even use pressure-treated wood. And it's guaranteed you're going to bust your head on the ceiling eventually. Have fun!

7. For $1,600, this Bohemian Basement is Perfect for Beatniks that Love Space

bohemian basement apartment

At least the owners of this horrible apartment put in some effort. They tossed a rug on the floor, a rug on the sofa, and a rug on the bed! They even hung up some curtains so you can pretend you have two rooms in this thin studio basement dwelling.

You can forget about air flow and natural lighting in your dungeon, but at least that bulb seems to be pretty bright. They've included a desk and side table, but that doesn't leave any space for any clothes and other belongings you might have. Such is the life.

8. For $950, You Can Have Somewhere to Place Your Twin-Sized Bed

thin studio apartment

Do you feel that for just under a thousand dollars per month, you should at least have enough floor space to have a twin sized bed? Well, you've got it! We even built closet across a wall so you're forced to have an even tinier studio apartment.

This renter got creative with their decorations and made the most they could out of this space before getting depressed. Too bad there's no window. This is the New York City life manifest.

9. At $525, You Can Save Your Money Up to Escape This Basement Dungeon Apartment for Good

worst basement apartment

We might clean up the gunk and dust, we might not. We might even put some flooring down on that exposed concrete with glue still all over it. But at least we painted a nice diagonal on the wall while spilling all over the other side and baseboards. And you get a window!

The only saving grace of this tiny basement apartment is that there seems to be two doors. One probably leads upstairs and is locked permanently.

The other likely contains a boiler and one of the noisiest types of air conditioners possible. If you can stand the noise, you could leave a door open and pretend you have more space.

10. Make the Best Out of Your Bad Apartment by... Camping Indoors?

bad apartment

This person got creative at least. We can assume there's more than one person sleeping in this room due to the sheet tacked up on the ceiling and the fact this guy wanted privacy so much that he put a mattress inside of a tent. He also has a privacy screen.

At least they let him paint one of the walls, in which he did the worst job I've ever seen. Saving money seems to be a priority since one of the pieces of furniture is a milk crate. Best of luck to this person making the most from possibly the worst apartment on this list.

11. The Award for the Grossest Apartment Every Goes to...

gross apartment

I truly believe that this is Shrek's apartment. Only he would be happy with that moldy green color flooring where half of it is missing. Only he would have zero decorations up, even on top of his one piece of furniture. At least he had sense to plug in an air freshener.

The lighting and color of paint on the wall makes me sick. Someone get this person a bed frame and a box spring. I can't take this one. I'm moving on.

12. Shower in the Kitchen Which is Your Apartment

half kitchen half bath apartment

Why have several rooms when you can have just one? Talk about efficient. You can be cooking bacon and eggs, turn around and hop in the shower, and get out before your breakfast is ready.

And with such great kitchen sink ideas, you can wash your pan and drain into the same pipes the shower does. At least there's one of the alternatives to glass shower doors installed.

These owners took care to make sure the remaining cabinet doors could actually swing open. How thoughtful. If anyone needs the kitchen while you're showering, the shower door is frosted so you have no worries.

13. In Extreme Desparation, Someone Rented a Walk-In Closet

walk in closet apartment

I understand when you're young, you'll do whatever it takes to get by and convince yourself it's all good. You'll create a spot on the floor for your newspapers, you'll have an electric-powered wind blower next to your thin mattress on the floor.

And to make the most of your ridiculous apartment, you'll hang your clothes and shoes over your bed. I'd move out of NYC before I put up with any of this.

14. Kitchen Sink, Bathroom Sink, What's the Difference...

kitchen bathroom combo apartment

Why not have a corner kitchen sink that is a bathroom sink that blocks off your ability to cook on the stove? Three's some real genius floor plans for apartments out there. While we're at it, let's paint the walls a foul pink color.

Honestly, I'm not even sure. Does that sink also double as a urinal? I wouldn't be surprised. I'm guessing there's no shower, so you have to take a bird bath in the sink. I bet some sucker rented this too.

15. An All-in-One Apartment, Literally

all in one apartment

Don't let me misprepresent what's going on here. This is only all-in-one because the renter is putting forth an effort. He's got a computer and a refrigerator to go along with that tiny sink. I couldn't sleep while using my shoe rack as a headboard. Talk about bedroom feng shui!

Imagine putting a bathroom rug or some of the crazy types of rugs down in front of your little sink right next to your mini-fridge and mattress, and convincing yourself that everything is okay.

16. Would You Willingly Rent a Prison Cell?

prison cell apartment

If you were smart and you lived in a city like New York, you'd only sleep at home. You'd spend your time at the library, the bar, work, and work out and shower at the gym. Then you'd crawl home to your prison cell apartment like the one above, put in some ear plugs, and sleep. Then repeat.

You and five other dummies could live a happy communal life like this at exorbitant rates, while convincing yourself you're saving money and are happy. Life has more meaning than this. Please don't accept this kind of lifestyle for yourself!

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