Why a Hot Bed Is a Bad Idea

The cost of everything is rising , but housing costs are a particular concern for many. Having a roof over your head and a place to sleep is critical to your ability to function in society, but rents have been rising steadily over the past few years. As a result, people are looking for creative housing solutions , and one of those solutions appears to be the hot bed.

What is a hot bed?

A hot bed is when you literally rent a bed – not an apartment or even a whole room, but just a bed . Sometimes it’s even just a side of the bed shared with someone else, but either way you can only use the bed for a certain period of time and then you have to get up and leave so the next person can sleep. a shift in it. This is similar to the concept of “hot desks” in offices or “hot racks” in the military , where it is sometimes used on ships where space is limited.

It’s easy to see why people might think this is a good idea, especially perennially poor students . Having a place to stay that costs much less than a full-size apartment ensures you can survive at a living wage, so you can continue to go to work, if you have one, without fear of the elements. Hot bed costs, of course, depend on the rent or other housing costs incurred by the bed owner, but they are much cheaper than renting a room or private apartment : one woman in Australia charges $160 a week for one side of her bed. (which she also occupies), while a student reported paying $225 a month for the privilege of sleeping in a bed all night while a truck driver slept in it during the day.

Bad idea, right?

On the one hand, if you can’t afford to rent your own place and don’t have options for sharing or living with family, a hot bed will at least get you off the street. And if you’re struggling to pay your rent, mortgage or other bills, a hot bed can bring in some much-needed cash. On the other hand, there are many reasons why this is a bad idea:

• Health and hygiene. First of all, renting your bed to or from a stranger is very different from renting a bed to or from a stranger. It’s the bed you sleep on, and unless you take steps to ensure your hot bed partner is meticulous about personal hygiene, you can experience first-hand how rude some people can be. Additionally, using a hot bed on regular shifts often means there is no time for cleaning and maintenance , meaning that sheets are not changed or washed as often as they should be, and the carpet and other parts of the room are not cleaned properly – because that someone is always sleeping there. This can worsen allergies and contribute to the development of diseases.
• Safety and security. Renting space to or from a stranger always comes with some risk, but it’s a little different when the stranger is in your personal space rather than their own. If you are renting out your bed, you will need to consider taking steps to protect your privacy and your property. If you rent a place to sleep, you won’t just be taking over someone else’s home, but also the most private space in it, which can be stressful. Another consideration is the psychological impact. People need some solitude and solitude to maintain basic mental health. A hot bed where someone else shares the bed often means you won’t have a moment where you’re truly alone all day. A student who goes to bed during the day, for example, notes that she “… is stressed all the time and very anxious. Not even having a quiet place to lay my head and relax while I study is terrible.”
• Legal issues. If you own a bed, you may be breaking the law or other regulations by lighting a hot bed. Renting out an entire room in your home requires meeting a varied list of legal requirements determined by your local government, homeowners association, or zoning department, but renting a bed for a few hours a day is a gray area that can easily break all of those rules. And if you rent a room or apartment on your own, you may be legally prohibited from subletting any part of the space, depending on your lease agreement. The person renting the bed likely does not have the normal protections that renters receive, leaving them with little recourse if the terms of the agreement suddenly change.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, but bed sharing is both rude and dangerous. If you really have no other choice, it might be better than sleeping in a car or on the street, but hardly.