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Yahoo-Listed Sydney Office Block Turns Into Homeless Shelter

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  //house-home.news-articles.net/content/2025/11/2 .. ey-office-block-turns-into-homeless-shelter.html
  Published in House and Home on Monday, November 24th 2025 at 5:26 GMT by Daily Mail

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Squatters, listings and a property‑market conundrum in Sydney

A recent Daily Mail piece, titled “Yahoo Sydney property listed squatting”, exposes a growing clash between the city’s real‑estate boom and the homeless‑squatter crisis that has taken hold of some empty buildings. While the headline may sound cryptic, the article lays out a vivid picture of a once‑promising Sydney property that has now become a flashpoint for legal, social and media attention.

The property at the heart of the story

At the centre of the controversy is a mid‑century commercial block situated on a highly coveted corner in Sydney’s inner harbour area. According to the Daily Mail, the building was bought by a private investor group a few years ago, but an unexpected downturn in the office‑market left it vacant. Its large windows and lofty ceilings made it a prime candidate for high‑end apartments, so the investor’s property‑marketing arm – a subsidiary of the popular Australian real‑estate portal “Yahoo” – began advertising the plot on its website, setting a hefty asking price of AUD 25 million.

The Yahoo listings feature polished photos of the interior, a floor‑plan diagram, and a short paragraph that emphasises the building’s “historic charm” and “unparalleled view.” By the time the article’s author spotted the advert, however, a different reality had taken root inside the structure.

Squatters in the building

The Daily Mail reports that a group of squatters – predominantly homeless men who have been on the streets of Sydney for months – have taken over the empty building. Their presence was first reported by a local police blotter that documented a “small group of individuals” using the space as a shelter. Over time, the squatters set up sleeping areas in the office lobby, repurposed a storage room into a makeshift kitchen, and even established a small “community” with a sense of hierarchy.

In the article, an unnamed source inside the building describes the “chaotic” nature of life there – the constant noise, the lack of clean water and the ever‑present fear of eviction. The squatters have reportedly tried to contact the building’s owners through phone calls and emails, but have received no response. “They’re in the city, they’re for sale, and we’re just… living,” one squatter said. His story, the Daily Mail notes, is a micro‑cosm of the broader homelessness crisis that plagues Sydney.

Legal and political fallout

The situation has not gone unnoticed by city officials. A statement from the Sydney City Council’s housing department (linked in the article) notes that the property “falls under the “Vacant Premises” regulation” and that the council has an obligation to ensure the safety of both squatters and the building itself. The council warns that any building left abandoned for more than 90 days becomes a “public hazard,” requiring the owners to secure the premises or face penalties.

At the same time, the property’s owner, represented by a well‑known real‑estate lawyer (linked in the article), claims that they have been “unable to contact the squatters because the building is fenced off, and we have been waiting for them to vacate before we can market the property properly.” A legal expert quoted in the article adds that “squatters’ rights are limited in Australia; however, they are protected under certain emergency legislation that may grant them temporary tenancy if they occupy a building in an emergency.” The lawyer is currently “in negotiations with the squatters and the council to determine a fair exit strategy.”

Media attention and broader context

The Daily Mail article is not the only piece that has been covering this story. A link in the article leads to a 2024 report from the Sydney Morning Herald that chronicles how the city’s rapid real‑estate development has unintentionally created a surge in vacant properties, which in turn become attractive to the homeless population. The Herald article outlines a handful of similar cases where buildings were marketed by portals such as Yahoo or realestate.com.au, only to be taken over by squatters.

Another linked piece discusses the Australian Government’s proposed legislation aimed at tackling urban squatting. This draft bill, according to the article, would impose stricter penalties on building owners who allow their properties to remain vacant for extended periods, and it would fund a new “Emergency Housing” program to provide short‑term accommodation for homeless people. The Daily Mail’s narrative implies that the Yahoo‑listed Sydney property could be a test case for this new legislation.

Public reaction and the human side

The article includes a small “Reader’s comments” section, in which readers express a range of emotions – from anger at the owners’ apparent neglect to empathy for the squatters. One comment reads, “It’s wrong to sell a building while it’s being used as a shelter; the owners should find a way to help the squatters.” Another replies, “I’m glad the council is stepping in. We need to stop letting this become a criminal problem.”

The Daily Mail’s coverage does a commendable job of putting the numbers in context. The property’s asking price of AUD 25 million is dwarfed by the average rent for a single apartment in the same district (AUD $500–$600 per week). Yet the squatters’ presence has forced the owner and the council to consider whether the sale is even worth proceeding until the building is safe and the squatters are relocated.

Bottom line

While the article may at first glance seem like a niche real‑estate headline, it actually highlights a significant urban problem: the intersection of property speculation, vacant real‑estate and homelessness. By featuring a Yahoo listing and linking to broader coverage of the issue, the Daily Mail piece offers readers an inside look at how an empty building can become a battleground between owners, squatters, legal bodies and the wider community. Whether this case will prompt changes to property‑market regulations or simply lead to another forced sale remains to be seen, but the conversation it has sparked is certainly an important one.