Regulating rents

With the recent decision of universities to raise the tuition fee on the next school year, drastic moves should be made to help students cushion the impact. Recently, the student and youth sector in Cebu asked congressmen for a 10 percent discount in rental of boarding houses, bed spaces, dormitories and lodging houses. A public hearing of the proposed Rent Control Act of 2009 was held the other week at the Provincial Capitol, attended by different stakeholders.

We agree with the statement of Renil Oliva, Chairman of Kabataang Pinoy. A discount in the rent of dwelling units would greatly help students and their parents, especially with the looming tuition hike for the next school year.

At present, the minimum rate for boarding houses ranges from P1, 200 to P1,500 which if increased, would definitely put additional burden to the students, as well as their families.

The public hearing for House Bill 5849 and House Bill 5703 that was conducted by the House Committee on Housing and Urban Development was meant to educate the public on the provisions of the said law. It was headed by committee chairman Rodolfo Valencia.

HB 5073 or the act regulating the rental of certain residential units, covers all house units, apartments and other dwelling places including boarding houses, dormitories, rooms and bed spaces offered for rent. It focuses on regulating rental rates in urban centers.

Provisions of the bill was based on the 2000 study on private rental housing, which showed that in that year, there were about 1.3 million families renting in urban areas while only 280,000 live in rural areas.

While practically similar in purpose to HB 5073, HB 5489 provides that rent in urban cities should not exceed P15,000 while rent in rural areas should not exceed P8,000 for a period of two years after the proposal becomes a law.

This will be not a only a breather for college students like us who are renting, but this will also help families who don't have the ability to have their own houses and for individuals renting apartments and rooms in rural areas because of the proximity of their work places.