The increase in the number for foreigners living and working in Ho Chi Minh City is bringing a windfall to house owners who lease out their houses to foreigners. 
Though official statistics are not available, telephone information service 1080 estimates there are around 6,000 foreigners in the city now.

But not all of them can afford the 2,000 USD and above a month that deluxe and serviced apartments cost, especially single people and students. Renting a room in a house is often a good option for many, thanks to the lower rents.

Thai Van Lung Street in district 1 was the first place in the city where this became popular. Since 1995, Quarter 4 here has been known as the “Western quarter”.

Most house owners here build three to five floors, leasing out as many as seven rooms with facilities like internet connection, air-conditioner, water heater and furniture.

Similar has been the case with Quarter 5, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, district 1, which is located near the University of Social Science and Humanities, where many students from Japan and the Republic of Korea study.

Rooms measuring 10-15sq.m here cost 6-6.5 million VND (362-393 USD) a month, including power and laundry.

Vo Minh Chau of Phu Nhuan district, who has rented out two floors to three Australian students for the last two years, said having foreigners staying in the house helps both owner and tenant benefit from each other in terms of cultural exchanges, especially those who are studying or doing research on Vietnam. “We help them learn the country’s customs and language, and in return my lodgers sometime help my children with studies,” said Chau

His children no longer play computer games, but have instead, become interested in learning English to communicate with their new friends, he says proudly.

(Source: VNA)