Reading Time: 5 minutes

Problems with housing for single people in Bangladesh are at an endemic level. However, as it is mostly unseen, people don’t realize what is actually going on in the street.

Habiba has been looking for a place to rent for the past 1 month. However, most of the landlords aren’t very interested to rent out to her. Their problem lies in the fact that Habiba is a single unmarried female. Some of the landlords who have some inkling of renting out a home to her place a number of conditions. Conditions such as her parents first must come and speak to them face to face, or they’ll only rent out if Habiba promises to not stay out after dark. But as a career woman who works at an advertising agency, such conditions are very challenging.

Taqi, a freelancer lives in Dhaka with his family and extended family in a single room. As he prefers a quiet environment to focus on work – which is unavailable at his home, he opted to rent out a small flat for himself. But finding a landlord who would rent out to him became more difficult than he ever imagined, as most shut their door when it comes to renting to bachelors.

There are countless others like Habiba and Taqi who only want a place to stay. But, again and again, they are being discriminated against being single. Today, we will be looking at the problems with housing for single people in Bangladesh and try to see if there are any solutions to them.

Why the Reluctance to Rent Out to Singles?

Buildings
Single people face a lot of problems renting in this busy city

Housing is a basic human need that is placed just after food and clothing. It is the same for every human, regardless of being a family person or an individual who is single. Yet, finding a home for a single person is much more difficult than it is for a family. At times, it is near impossible to find a decent home for a single living individual. That is because there are some outdated and unnecessary social perceptions of anyone who is single.

Many believe that such individuals are not responsible enough as they live alone. When it comes to students, some fear whether their single tenants will be able to pay rent in time. And, of course, there is also the stereotype that bachelors indulge in unethical and illegal stuff regularly, and renting out to them will lead to trouble with the police. Some cite previous bad experiences with single people as a reason to not rent out anymore. Be it actual experience or perceived risks, most landlords are reluctant to rent out to single people – and certainly not without specified & unreasonable conditions.

There is no way to deny that landlords have had a bad experience with single tenants from time to time. They had to endure many problems due to irresponsible single tenants, which has greatly soured their view. However, the acts of a few handfuls of terrible individuals have resulted in the stigmatization of an entire cluster of people. Today, single people have to face awkward questions, humiliation, and a whole host of other unwanted situations every time they want to find a home. It’s high time to realize the problems with housing for single people in Bangladesh need to be solved.

Problems Single People Face After Failing to Find Homes

rental home
Many have to shoulder the burden of stigma due to the faults of the few

Thousands of people relocate to Dhaka every month with the goal of finding a job, studying, or something else. All of them look for a place to rent. As a result, there is always a high demand for rent, and that demand is ever-growing. However, the supply of homes to rent is already less than the demand. So, with the stigma of single people always looming over their heads, landlords can dictate the terms of renting. This results in an endless array of awkward situations and questions for single people.

Most single tenants have no other option than to endure these situations in the hopes of managing a home. Often enough, this leaves a psychological impact upon the “victim” of such situations. For young minds, such experience can leave a lasting impression which shapes future perceptions and their own behaviors.

But even then, there are lots of single people who can’t find a decent place to stay. If they can’t rent a place of their own, they are content with messes or hostels as more economic housing options, where numerous individuals share a room without much privacy. While a lot of people prefer such lodging due to financial reasons, some have to make this compromise due to a lack of alternative options.

What Can be the Solution?

সিঙ্গেল ভাড়া বাসা
Most single people look for budget-friendly homes

Problems with housing for single people in Bangladesh in endless. But that doesn’t mean people shouldn’t look for solutions. To start with, people need to change their perceptions of them. The stigma needs to be dispelled. And it is the single people who need to raise their voices. The problems with housing for single people in Bangladesh are ever-present but always away from the spotlights. Unless and until people know they are being persecuted in terms of housing, perceptions won’t start changing.

Social media is a great platform for such changes. More people need to come forward and discuss the problems they have faced or still facing. Their experiences need to be shared with the world so people become aware of their plight.

Tenants have many rights and there are regulations to safeguard those rights. According to the regulations, there should be legal rental agreements to list out all the just & applicable conditions. The agreement also lists down all the necessary information about the tenant. Utilizing this negates the need to present any awkward questions to the single tenant.

Single people will also need to be on their toes so as to not do anything that breaches these agreements. In order to change the perception, they need to be representatives of their people and abide by rules. Afterward, both the tenants and the landlords need to come to a mutual understanding that this is for the betterment of both.

The problems with housing for single people in Bangladesh need to be solved sooner rather than later. And it is up to the single people to take that crucial first step. If you experienced any such encounter in your life then share it with us in the comments section below.

Write A Comment