New guidelines issued by Shanghai's housing bureau that
discourage landlords from offering "group rents" have sparked
debate among local people.
According to the rules released on Monday, rooms should be let
only to individuals and families and the total floor space should
equate to not less than 5 sq m per occupant.
Landlords are also encouraged to stop renting out individual
beds and sub-dividing rooms. The local media has often reported
cases of poor safety standards in overcrowded, partitioned
apartments.
However, many people have said the guidelines discriminate
against unmarried couples and same-sex partners.
Group renting and the illegal partitioning of rooms are quite
common in metropolitan Shanghai, where property prices and rents
have soared in recent years.
As a result, low-income earners, such as migrant workers,
college graduates and young white-collar workers often share rooms
and apartments with friends or even strangers to reduce their
outgoings.
The controversial guidelines sparked dozens of commentaries both
online and in the traditional media, and a huge response from the
public.
One netizen on eastday.com said: "No one wants to live in a
cramped room with people they don't know, but it's too expensive
for most people to buy a house or even rent one in Shanghai.
Policymakers seldom care about poor people's living
conditions."
Another, at hexun.com, said: "How can we survive with low
incomes but high rents? It's hard enough even without the new
restrictions, and the bureau should see that most people are
against them."
Reuters, quoting a commentary from a local newspaper, said:
"This matter, in essence, attacks the people who can least afford
it."
However, some academics have highlighted the positives in the
bureau's new guidelines, saying they are necessary for social
stability.
Qiao Xinsheng, a professor at Zhongnan University of Economics
and Law, said in an article on hexun.com: "People want to live in a
harmonious community. With the new amendments, disputes between
landlords, residents and property management companies will be
easier to solve."
Cai Xingfa, director of the Shanghai Property Management
Association, said the government should provide more affordable
housing for low-income earners, local media reported.
(China Daily August 31, 2007)
