THE number of complaints over long-term apartment leases in Shenzhen has reached 162 so far this year, three times over the same period last year, figures from Shenzhen Consumer Council showed.

In 2016, there were 29 complaints over long leases, and the number increased to 101 in 2017.

According to a release Wednesday, the sharp increase reflects the irregularities in the long-term apartment leasing market, and the consumer council said it would meet with property agents and raise their requirements to correct their practices.

One of the complaints the council received was from a tenant surnamed Chen who complained about unreasonably steep rent hikes over three months. Chen said his monthly rent had been raised by 25 percent since June to 1,530 yuan (US$233) in August. The housing agent who leased the apartment to Chen claimed it was the new price in their renting system and they had to follow it. The council didn’t name the housing agent in the release.

In another complaint, the housing agent, which wasn’t identified, required a tenant surnamed Zhang to pay the rent through a designated app before signing a contract with her. Zhang later found out that she was paying off a loan rather than her rent.

Leaving tenants in the dark, the housing agent signed a loan contract with a money-lending company to let its tenants pay rent in installments. If Zhang fails to pay her rent by the due dates, her credit will be affected.

The rise in rents in recent months has placed extra burdens on tenants in the city by increasing their cost of living.

On May 19, the housing and construction ministry required local authorities to take measures to stabilize housing prices and control rents. Shenzhen’s urban planning and land resources authority piloted a program to explore ways to stabilize rents in Tanglang Town, an apartment project developed by Shenzhen Metro Co. The urban planning commission has trialed different ways to improve the city’s housing leasing system, including rent-price setting and online contracting, at 248 apartments in Tanglang Town.

However, the urban planning and land resources commission said there is no timetable for promoting the program in other parts of the city.

In Shenzhen, about two-thirds of the population live in rental apartments or apartments provided by their employers.

(Han Ximin)