Cornwall Airbnb charges guests £50 a night to ‘camp without the tent’

A landlord is advertising a property on Airbnb for just £50 a night – a very reasonable price for its location on the coast of Cornwall, but there’s a big catch.

The one-bedroom flat in the seaside town of Penzance has just the bare necessities, meaning it houses hardly any furniture apart from three inflatable mattresses to sleep and sit on.

Other than the mattresses – one double and two singles, it’s just the structure of the flat itself, a wardrobe, curtains, kitchen appliances and perhaps an echo bouncing off the walls.

The landlord, Sarah, claims that staying in her empty flat is “an ideal way of camping but without being in a tent”.

She adds: “Treat staying here as if you were going camping ... but with the luxury of being able to keep all your belongings safe.”

Another benefit to what she describes as “flat camping” in her property is that there’s an indoor bathroom with hot running water and toilet paper, as well as an open-plan kitchen with appliances, gas, and electricity.

But the landlord says that guests have to bring everything else including their “own bedding, towels, paper plates, disposable cutlery”.

Sarah continued: “You do have to walk through the bedroom to get to the bathroom, so be mindful of this when booking with friends etc.”

Another downside to staying in the starkly minimalist-style accommodation is missing out on the main benefit of camping, which is being in the open air and sleeping under the stars.

But the narrow patio at the back of the property could offset that, as well as its close proximity to the beach.

According to reports, the price per night had been £65 but was dropped earlier this week to £50.

Guests so far seem to have enjoyed their stay as the property currently has a rating of 4.82 out of 5 on Airbnb.

More than 70 reviews have been left, with many saying that the property is modern, “spotless”, and is in a “fantastic location”.