'Real-life Parasite': Homeowner finds ex-landlord living secretly in basement for 7 years

A man in China has discovered his former landlord had been secretly living in the basement of the house he purchased seven years ago, sparking a wave of online attention.

The homeowner, identified only by his surname Li, from Jiangsu province in eastern China, was shocked to find his ex-landlord, a woman surnamed Zhang, had been living in the basement of the house for seven years.

Li made the unsettling discovery while cleaning his newly purchased home, as reported by the South China Morning Post.

Li bought the second-hand home, located in the city center, for nearly 2 million yuan (US$280,000) in 2018, according to NetEase News. His family was thrilled with the property, appreciating its convenient location and exquisite renovations.

But during a recent tidying session, Li uncovered a hidden door behind a staircase, leading to an unexpected basement. The spacious underground area was fully equipped with lighting, ventilation, and signs of recent habitation, which unnerved Li.

Li immediately reached out to Zhang, the previous owner, accusing her of intentionally concealing the basement from the sale. Zhang responded by claiming that the basement was never part of the property or the sale agreement.

"I sold you the house, but I never said the basement was included. If the basement is yours, where am I supposed to relax in my free time?" she said.

It remains unclear how Zhang accessed the basement without Li noticing. Speculation online has suggested she may have used a door connecting the basement to the parking garage or perhaps had an extra key.

“Real-life Parasite”

The situation has been likened to the plot of the Oscar-winning film Parasite, where a man secretly lives in a basement for years. Social media users have dubbed Zhang a “real-life Parasite” in reference to the 2019 dark comedy by South Korean director Bong Joon-ho.

In the film, a poor family infiltrates a wealthy household by posing as staff members, only to discover that the previous housekeeper's husband had been secretly living in the basement to avoid debt collectors.