On the one hand it is becoming harder for fixed income city dwellers to lead life comfortably due to frequent price hike of things, on the other hand the tenants in have to spend almost half of their income to pay house rent.
Though Nazmul Haque works in a private company at city's Motijheel but he lives in Shewrapa of Mirpur as there house rent comparatively less.
He gets salary Tk 31,000. Out of the amount, he has to spend around Tk 16,000 on the account of rent and utility costs for a two-room flat.
With the rest half of his earnings, he has to struggle to meet transportation costs and household expenses, Nazmul said.
Amid this, landlord served him a notice of raising house rent Tk 1000 in January of next year.
He protested but the landlord rudely told him to leave the house if he does not want to pay the increased rent, Nazmul added.
Such trouble happened not only with Nazmul but many tenants like him in the city. They have nothing to do but accept wilfulness of the landlords. They either pay hiked rent or change house.
Premises Rent Control Act 1991 was made for tenant and landlord both but the former has to suffer most as the latter does not comply with this.
People rush to capital Dhaka everyday with hope of getting job or changing their fate. According to a survey, about 80% city dwellers live in rented house.
Seeing the increasing demand of house rent, owners put burden of excessive rent on the tenants, and raise rent in every January.
According to section 16 of the act, owners cannot hike rent of house within two years without any major construction works or change in. Irregularities is also seen in this case. It was seen last 10 years that raising house rent is soaring.
Dhaka City Corporation in 2007 set rent Tk 5 to Tk 30 per square feet in 775 areas of the city, including residential, commercial, industry, building, semi-building house, 300-feet in and out of main road, but its application is not seen anywhere.
Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) in a study said house rent has increased two times compared to that of daily commodities last 25 years.
Regarding this, Tenant Council president Bahrane Sultan Bahar told Jago News that house owners do not comply with existing law and whimsically raise rent every year.
The urged the government to ensure the implementation of Premises Rent Control Act 1991 through proper initiatives.
Rashed Ahmed, a resident of city's Mohammadpur, said raising rent every year has turned into rule and they gasp with.
Rashed said about Tk 20,000 out of Salary's Tk 38,000 goes to pay house rent and transport expenses. "I have to buy onion at Tk 240 in the bazaar and spend half of income for rent, how I meet household expenses, and how people like me to survive," he added.
Meanwhile, Siddiqur Rahman, landlord at Parbata Senpara in Mirpur-10, defended hiking house rent saying that essentials prices surge also causes sufferrings to them as renting out house is their main source of income.
He said, "Those do job receive salary increment every year. As our main income source is house rent, so we can raise rent every year for livelihood."
Bangladesh General Citizen Council convener Mohiuddin Ahmed said it ought to conduct mobile court to monitor whether landlords comply with rent control act.