In-depth
Landlords take advantage of unwitting students
  • By Hoai Nam | dtinews.vn | October 15, 2012 11:37 AM

Many guesthouse owners in HCM City have been applying arbitrary fees and regulations to their customers, many of them students, trying to squeeze extra money and making life more difficult for them.

 

Electric fans and laptops can cost VND40,000 a month

Many students who rent a woman's facility just off Tran Quang Dieu Road in District 3, were compelled to leave after one or two weeks because of being overcharged and asked for unexpected fees.

One student from Saigon University said he and his friend signed a three-month contract to rent a room there for VND700,000 (USD33.52) per month.

When they moved in they were shocked to find out that there were extra hidden fees everywhere, VND1,000 to charge their phones, VND2,000 each time they used the electric cooker and VND15,000 (USD0.71) per month for using the lights.

Students with laptops were charged an additional VND40,000 (USD1.91) per month. For guests who had small fans, a fee of VND25,000 (USD1.19) each per month was added, while a large fan woud cost VND40,000 (USD1.91).

A student staying at one hostel said, “My landlord keeps close watch on all the electric sockets. Most of them are blocked so that we have to go into her room to plug in any device so that she can charge us."

Vo Thi Minh Tam, Chairwoman of Ward 14, said that she had heard of the issue and that the authorities had plans to inspect such establishments.

 

Electric sockets covered

"As long as you're under this roof!"

In addition to irrational fees, many students are troubled by strange regulations by their landlords, which are just discovered after they move to their rented rooms.

At a guesthouse near Van Xuan College the landlord forces students to keep garbage in their rooms until the trash collector comes, and all food waste has to be put into a common receptacle. The owner then sells the refuse adding around VND150,000 (USD7.18) to her monthly profits.

“There are a lot of us who are fed up with these ridiculous charges and rules, but we've already paid anywhere from three to six months in advance," one student said.

Vo Thi Hong Hoa, from HCM City Student Support Centre, said students should be careful when considering their accommodations in order to avoid similar problems.

Even parking incurs fees 

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