The COVID-19 pandemic has brought businesses to a standstill, but they have learned to cope. Most private employees have been laid off, but they are still trying to find out a way to earn a living. However, in Monggar town, recent times have added more hurdles to the lives of residents. This time, it is about some landlords increasing house rents beyond a reasonable amount.
K.B Chhetri has been running an optical shop in the core town of Monggar for almost two years now. But recently, his house owner increased the rent by 30 per cent. This means he is now paying Nu 2100 more.
Considering the hard times the pandemic has brought about, he requested the landlord to not increase the rent for a while. But to his utter dismay, he was asked to vacate the space if he can’t pay.
According to the landlord, he didn’t increase the rent for the last three years. Claiming that the revise was lawful, he added the revision is to meet the maintenance expenditure and also to pay loans without delay.
Similarly, another landlord in the town also increased the rent by more than 20 per cent recently.
The affected families say the landlords have used the housing shortage to their advantage.
“I pay the house rent from the little saving I have made before the pandemic. However, I am not happy with those landlords in Monggar town who increased their house rents,” Amrith Chhetri, one of the residents and a businessman told BBS.
According to the Tenancy Rules and Regulations of Bhutan 2018, “the rent shall not be increased before two years from the date of the last rent increment or from the day of which a tenant occupies the space.” It also states that the increment shall not exceed 10 per cent of the monthly rent.
Monggar town has about 150 business entities, and with their dwindling business coupled with increasing rent, some are having hard times.
However, the Thromde representative hasn’t received any formal complaint regarding the issue.
“There is a housing crunch in the town. That’s why tenants are compelled to endure the rent hike. In case the landlord asks them to vacate, there will be nowhere else to go, and with children, it is more difficult. That’s why they pay whatever the house owners demand,” said the Thromde Thuemi, Namgay Dorji.
The exorbitant rent in the town is going to affect more residents. According to our sources, more landlords are planning to revise their rent soon.
As long as there is no intervention from the relevant authority, the grievance of the residents there will remain to themselves.
Sonam Tshering, Monggar
Edited by Chayku
