House rent on rise in Khulna city

House owners in Khulna city have been increasing rents every year at their will, ignoring house rent law. The law does not allow house owners to raise rents arbitrarily and take an advance from tenants but they take no notice of it. But the landlords only make a verbal deal with their tenants and that was final, and as there is no written deal, the renters are sometimes forces to give increased rent without any notice.
Aftab Hossain, a tenant of Sonadanga Residential Area in the city said an apartment with three rooms plus a dining space and two bathrooms was rented out at Tk 5,500 to Tk 6,000 two years ago while such flat now goes on rent at around Tk 8,000 to Tk 10,000 excluding the utility bills.
Similarly, the rent for an apartment with two rooms and a dining space was around Tk 3,500 to Tk 4,000 last year while now at around Tk 5,000 to Tk 6,000.
Nousher Ali Master, owner of a house at Goborchaka Main Road in the city told The Independent that they do not make any written deal with the clients as they maintain good relation with the tenants.
Convener of Khulna Nagarik Samaj Advocate AFM Mohsin said, “Though about 80 per cent of 15 lakh people in Khulna city are tenants who have already been victimised to monopoly rent-hike of the landlords, there is no law to protect their rights.”
Due to continued increase in house rent, tenants especially fixed income group, upper middle and lower middle class have to spend at least 50 per cent of their monthly salaries for house rent. So, they are facing problems in maintaining their families properly, he added.
According to the Premises Rent Control Act 1991, there should be a written deal between the house owner and the tenant, and the owner should provide money receipt for the rent to the tenant, Mohsin further said.
Consequently, there has been no action so far taken against such anomaly of every year hike in house rent, as there is seemingly no one to monitor the violation of the act, according to sources.
An official of KCC’s revenue department seeking anonymity said there are about 2 lakh holdings in the city. Most of the house owners are trying to evade holding tax with concealing the actual rent. Acting Revenue Officer of KCC Md Wahiduzzaman Khan said, “House owners raise rent every year but most of them don’t pay tax regularly.”
The Independent visited different parts of Khulna city to survey the situation and learned that not only the house rents have gone up but also the house owners have started taking large amounts of money as advance before giving the house on rent.
President of Conscious Citizen Committee (CCC), Khulna district unit Sheikh Abdul Qaiyum said, “House rents in the city are going up fast. The act formulation authority only thinks about the house owners’ interests.”
He urged the government to formulate a new house rent act and to enforce it at the earliest to make the life of tenants easier. Qaiyum also urged the government to construct public housing colony for low income people in khas lands.

 

House rent on rise in Khulna city

House owners in Khulna city have been increasing rents every year at their will, ignoring house rent law. The law does not allow house owners to raise rents arbitrarily and take an advance from tenants but they take no notice of it. But the landlords only make a verbal deal with their tenants and that was final, and as there is no written deal, the renters are sometimes forces to give increased rent without any notice. Aftab Hossain, a tenant of Sonadanga Residential Area in the city said an apartment with three rooms plus a dining space and two bathrooms was rented out at Tk 5,500 to Tk 6,000 two years ago while such flat now goes on rent at around Tk 8,000 to Tk 10,000 excluding the utility bills. Similarly, the rent for an apartment with two rooms and a dining space was around Tk 3,500 to Tk 4,000 last year while now at around Tk 5,000 to Tk 6,000. Nousher Ali Master, owner of a house at Goborchaka Main Road in the city told The Independent that they do not make any written deal with the clients as they maintain good relation with the tenants. Convener of Khulna Nagarik Samaj Advocate AFM Mohsin said, Though about 80 per cent of 15 lakh people in Khulna city are tenants who have already been victimised to monopoly rent-hike of the landlords, there is no law to protect their rights. Due to continued increase in house rent, tenants especially fixed income group, upper middle and lower middle class have to spend at least 50 per cent of their monthly salaries for house rent. So, they are facing problems in maintaining their families properly, he added. According to the Premises Rent Control Act 1991, there should be a written deal between the house owner and the tenant, and the owner should provide money receipt for the rent to the tenant, Mohsin further said. Consequently, there has been no action so far taken against such anomaly of every year hike in house rent, as there is seemingly no one to monitor the violation of the act, according to sources. An official of KCCs revenue department seeking anonymity said there are about 2 lakh holdings in the city. Most of the house owners are trying to evade holding tax with concealing the actual rent. Acting Revenue Officer of KCC Md Wahiduzzaman Khan said, House owners raise rent every year but most of them dont pay tax regularly. The Independent visited different parts of Khulna city to survey the situation and learned that not only the house rents have gone up but also the house owners have started taking large amounts of money as advance before giving the house on rent. President of Conscious Citizen Committee (CCC), Khulna district unit Sheikh Abdul Qaiyum said, House rents in the city are going up fast. The act formulation authority only thinks about the house owners interests. He urged the government to formulate a new house rent act and to enforce it at the earliest to make the life of tenants easier. Qaiyum also urged the government to construct public housing colony for low income people in khas lands.