A block of rental houses for workers in District 2 of HCM City. (Source: VNA) HCM City, March 5 (VNA) - Room rental rates in HCM City have significantlyincreased after the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, causinginconveniences for university students and labourers.
It currently costs a renter 700,000 VND to 1 million VNA per month for a 20 to25 metre-square-room, up 30 percent year-on-year, accordingto SaiGonGiaiPhong (Liberated Saigon) newspaper.
Due to the rising number of university students and labourers coming back toHCM City to study and work after a long break, the demand for room rentals hasskyrocketed.
Couple Duc and Hue from BinhDinh province had to take leave from work to roamover Tan Phu, Binh Tan, Tan Binh districts in an effort to find a room whichtheir family could afford.
“I collect and trade used things for a living while my husband repairs electricdevices. We earn 8 to 10 million VND per month and are looking for a room thatis maximum 2 million VND. That room should not be too small for our children.”Hue said.
They have planned to move to Binh Chanh district for cheaper alternatives.
Four university students from the Saigon Technology University encountered asimilar difficulty, searching for rooms in Binh Chanh district’s Binh Hungcommune.
Le TrungThinh, a member of the group, complained that their previous landlordhad promised to keep unchanged the rental rate after Tet. However, the landlordrecently decided to raise it to 700,00 VND per room, with effect from February.
“We, of course, had to leave and have not yet been able to find affordablerooms in the area,” he said, adding that searching for rooms takes a largeamount of their time, which affects their studying.
Many students in Go Vap, Thu Duc, and BinhThanh district have to cramp into onesmall room or move further away from their school to save money.
Landlord Linh on Binh Hung commune’s Pham Hung street explained that prices goup every year and that she has to pay for room maintenance service and otherfees, making the rate increase.
In order to support university students and labourers, People’s Committees ofDistrict 8, 9, 12, among others have organised multiple activities.
In Thu Duc district, the Labour Union, together with relevant authorities havesent officials to households that offer rental service to encourage them tomaintain the rate.
Meanwhile, at the ward-level office of many district People’s Committees,information on where to find rooms and landlords’ mobile numbers have beenposted for people in need.
According to the Youth Worker Support Centre, it collected information onavailable rooms for rent before Tet, ready to share to renters after theholiday.
However, the system was jammed up a little due to surging demand. The centre isgathering and categorising information on room status, which will be laterannounced to labour and youth unions in the city.
Nguyen The Trinh, director of a rental agency in District 8, said that rentersshould ask their landlords in advance of any changes in the rate and renewtheir rental contracts before Tet to refrain from paying higher prices in thenew year.-VNA
VNA
