Boarding houses’ owners have raises rental rates dramatically, forcing many students to bunk with friends and relatives.

When university students from rural areas flock into cities to start the new school year, they first must find a place to live.

Greedy landlords or pragmatic businessmen?

Phuong rents eight rooms on the small alley of No 90 Nguyen Tuan street. The newly built spaces were completed in June, but she has only now begun leasing them.

Phuong knows that now is the time that students are seeking housing. She asks 1.2 million dong a month for rent, so students think that these are very nice rooms.

Yet the rooms are not in good condition. Each room is just 10 square meters with only a cot. The eight rooms’ inhabitants have to share one restroom area, which includes a drinking water tank, two bathing rooms and two toilets. Six of the rooms have already been filled.

Phuong receives tens of students every day. They come to see the rooms, but many leave because they cannot afford the high rent. Phuong doesn’t mind.

“They (the students) will have to return, because they will not be able to find rooms to rent elsewhere,” Phuong observed.

Her attitude is not unique. Other landlords near universities have also raised their rental rates. In the summer months, an 8-10 square meter room costs around 600,000 and 700,000 dong. During the school year, the same rooms are rented for one million dong or higher.

Room rentals in Tu Liem and Cau Giay districts, both near universities, has increased by 100-200,000 dong on average.

Students must play “hide and sneak”

Cuong, a new student at the Civil Engineering University, detailed how he arrived in Hanoi on September 3, began studying on September 5, and still does not have a place to live.

He stays with another student at the Hanoi University of Technology who was lucky enough to rent a room. Cuong cannot stay there for long, because his friend is sharing the room already with two other friends and the space is much too small for four people.

“I am tired of looking for a room to rent,” he complained.

Cuong is luckier than Quang, a student of the Hanoi Economics University who has no idea where he can stay from day to day.

At present Quang stays with friends in their rental rooms, but the landlord prohibits overnight guests. Because of this, he has to stay out late at the university and sneak into his friends’ rooms after 10 pm.

He stays elsewhere on other days, because he dislikes bothering his friends too often.

“My parents give one million dong a month which I have to cover all my expenses, Quang explained. “I have only 300,000 dong a month for room rent, which is not enough for any room.”

Dormitories are also available for many students who cannot find a room to rent.

Nguyen Thi Hoa, a student at the Water Resources University, commented that two girls are “living illegally” in her dorm room.

Both girls have had no luck finding a place that they can afford. They sleep on the floor and are subject to expulsion if they are discovered by the dorm’s security guards.

VietNamNet/DT