In dense urban areas around the world, housing costs can be extremely high. Paying several thousand dollars each month for a one-bedroom flat isn't unheard of in many cities, and in Manhattan, the average apartment price has reached $2.19 million. Yes, you read that right. This fact has led some city-dwellers to come up with creative ways to live independently and dodge these extreme rent costs. Take, for example, the Google employee who lived in a box truck in his employer's parking lot. By doing so, he managed to avoid the area's exorbitant housing prices and save 90% of his income.

A 23-year-old Google employee named Brandon lived in this repurposed Ford box truck.

We recently came across another fascinating (and very strange) example of what some might call unconventional urban housing — others might call it illegal squatting. A YouTuber known as 007craft posted the following video of his tiny home inside a rented 10′ by 10′ storage unit. He says in the description that the unit costs him $205 per month, as opposed to the “$1,000+ a month” for a small apartment in the area.

As you might expect, it's generally a breach of the rental agreement to live inside these units under normal circumstances, so we'd advise against trying any of this unless the complex has been abandoned during some kind of SHTF scenario.

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Since that's not the case for this video, 007craft has taken some steps to conceal his presence — he says “you have to be a ghost… if anybody finds out you're here, that's when you start running into trouble”. However, the taped-up extension cord running from the complex's outlet into the door frame remains laughably conspicuous. This seems like a fast way to get caught, evicted, and hit with a trespassing notice, but he doesn't seem too concerned.

He then proceeds to give a tour of his abode, like an ultra-low-budget version of MTV's Cribs. He has a full-size bed, couch, big-screen TV, stereo system, mini-fridge, microwave, hot plate, sink with clean water and grey water tanks, and even centrally-controlled lighting. You may wonder how he can afford all this but not an apartment… but that's besides the point.

“I even have a paper towel holder, I have all the amenities you'd find in an apartment.”

Using some 2x4s and angle brackets, he built compartments down from the unit's ceiling to house essential items like footwear, a snowboard, and his nunchucks (you just can't make this stuff up). Hey, you never know when he might need to defend himself against marauding ninjas.

Near the end of the video, 007craft shows how he refills his water tanks using a plastic jug, a hose, a funnel, and the nearby drinking fountain. There's no mention of a bathroom, but we imagine he uses the complex's facilities for that, too. Otherwise, it might involve more 2x4s, funnels, and plastic jugs, so we're not sure we want to know the details.

After about two months, 007craft says he moved into an actual apartment. So, even if you're dedicated to flying under the radar, living out of a storage unit in an active complex clearly isn't a long-term solution. And although many aspects of this video seem unintentionally humorous, we've got to give the guy kudos for making a 10×10′ room into a pretty efficient tiny home. Watch the full video below, and for more on unconventional off-grid housing, check out our previous articles on the DIY box truck RV and Sara Liberte's Battle Van build.

Written by Patrick McCarthy