A Harry Potter-style cupboard under the stairs fitted with a tiny bed and a mini toilet has been offered for rent at just 41 dollars a month.

The tiny 53 square-foot cupboard with the bed touching the ground behind the toilet and packed under the stairs has gone on the market in Shanghai, China, where it was snapped up almost immediately by a ridesharing driver in the city.

The owner said that CNY 300 (41 USD / GBP 33) a month was a bargain given the cost of other apartments in the city, and quickly set up before anyone else could beat him to it.

The new owner will need to make sure he does not try to stand up too straight as most of the cupboard has no room to stand straight because of the stairs overhead.

As well as the tiny toilet and the mattress is also a wash basin.

The advertising agent with perhaps some irony managed to make the flat advert popular by promoting it with a message saying: 'What a dream home!'

The real estate agent said that given the prices in the general market, it was a bargain.

He added: 'JUts over 40 dollars a month for a whole unit rental that includes a bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a living room is a great deal.'

The flat was snapped up by a driver from Didi, an Uber-like ridesharing platform, the same day the listing agency published the advertisement.

In a video tour, the door opens to a 'living room' with space for only one person to stand, and a plank of wood acting as a wall, separating this flat from the rest of the house.

Pointing at the steps, the agents said: 'The flat is even a small duplex! But let's be careful when we get home, this staircase is a bit steep.'

He then boasted that the kitchen, with a stove, is to the left of the living room, and said: 'There's even a real window. It's perfectly fair.

'If friends come over, you can cook and sit on steps to enjoy the meal together.'

The bedroom-bathroom is on the right, with no windows. The tenants must sleep on the floor, facing the toilet and the water heater hangs next to the bed.

The agent said: 'Be careful when taking a shower, or it will get your bed wet.

'If you want to add air conditioning, the rent will be increased by CNY 100 [GBP 11].'

The advert has resonated online with young working people struggling to make a living in China'sfirst-tier cities.