VnnNews – Though student anticipated that room rents would increase after Tet, they complain that the rates have risen to unimaginably high levels.
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A room with an area of 12-15 square meters without a bathroom (several students share one bathroom) is now rented for 800,000 dong a month. Larger rooms with a bathroom and are located near universities and junior colleges rent for 1.5 million dong a month. To put this into perspective, the average income per capita is about $1000 per annum, or 1.6 million dong a month).
On average, a room with “acceptable conditions” is leased for one million dong a month. Students must also pay electricity, water, Internet and cleaning fees, which means that every student pays some 1.5 million dong a month.
Minh Hieu, a student of Hanoi University, estimated that, on average, room owners raise rents three times a year. Hieu is now living in a rented room that originally cost 400,000 dong, but now is 900,000 dong.
When asked why he doesn’t move to a cheaper and more convenient place, Hieu replied that rent increases are everywhere, and he’s already used to his room, so he does not want to move.
“It’s very difficult to find a room that fits your pocket and fits your taste at this moment,” he explained.
Huong Giang, a University of Social Sciences and Humanities student, grumbles that she cannot find a room to rent. Giang rented a room before Tet, but gave it back to return to her home village for Tet. Giang hoped to find a room after Tet, but she has realized that it is very difficult.
“Most rooms with low rents are far from my school and far from bus stations. The rooms that are near my school are in very bad conditions with bad lighting,” she complained.
In fact, Giang has been told to ask for advices from housing consultants, but she does not want to pay 50,000-100,000 dong to them without knowing that their service is good.
A room owner explained that room rates rise after Tet because prices of goods and services always go up too, so he must raise the rent to cover his family’s expenses.
He added that the demand for rooms is always very high after Tet. University entrance exam begin in July and many students arrive in Hanoi at this time to attend exam preparation classes. This “room fever” always occurs at the same time of the year and room owners typically raise their rates.
Room owners have also warned that they will raise the rent even further, because electricity prices have increased as of March 1, 2010. Students who rent rooms now have to pay 3,000 dong per kwh to the owners, while the State sells electricity at 1,500 dong per kwh on average.
“The petrol and electricity price increases will mean a higher inflation rate. Therefore, we have no other choice than to increase the rent,” lamented Chung, another room owner.
VietNamNet/Dan tri
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