Shocking! Chinese woman rents office toilet for Rs..., know reason behind her strange lifestyle choice

A Chinese woman has made an unlikely choice of living in her office toilet. Her strange decision comes amid rising cost of living in China. Her decision has made her viral on social media. Yang, 18, comes from a rural area in China’s Hunan province. She even pays a rent of 50 yuan (Rs 588) which is still affordable to her compared to a high living rent of an apartment.  

The rising rent in China 

Yang is employed in a furniture store in ZhuZhou and her monthly salary is 2,700 yuan (Rs 31,776) whereas the city’s average salary is 7,500 yuan (Rs 88,266). The city’s rents range from 800 yuan (Rs 9,415) to 1,800 yuan (Rs 21,184) which is unaffordable for her considering other expenses as well. How she came to live in her office is an interesting tale. She talked to her senior regarding her complex situation and made a deal to give a certain basic rent to her office. The toilet she lives in measures six square meters. 

How Yang lives in office toilet  

She executes all her daily chores like from washing clothes to making food in the small space and even keeps it clean. She dries her clothes on the rooftop. When the store officially opens till it closes, she keeps her belongings away to allow staff and consumers to use the washroom. She has an account on Douyin, a Chinese social media platform, with 16,000 followers where she often posts about her life in the toilet.  

Netizens empathise with Yang 

Her viral post garnered millions of views and empathy from the social media users. They lauded her for coming up with such an idea as her situation did not allow her high-price rent. “Not for me to be criticising someone trying their best. I wish the young lady well,” wrote one user. “Making the best of her circumstances, very commendable,” another added. 

Girl, 18, in China can't find affordable accommodation, resorts to sleeping in company's showroom toilet https://t.co/j85J8uS1z3 pic.twitter.com/TawnPnK4VO

— Mothership (@MothershipSG) March 26, 2025

A user remarked, “This makes me sad. There should be more equity in the world for people willing to work hard. All the while many who refuse to work get fully funded lifestyles.” Yang expresses her difficult situation does not bother her and she is contented with the way she is living and works hard to save money to be able to a home one day.