A draft regulation to regulate the residential rental market was issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development on May 21. Nearly half of the regulation dwells upon how to protect tenants' rights and interests, which is undoubtedly inspiring news for tenants. For instance, landlords are forbidden from arbitrarily evicting tenants or raising the rent without notifying tenants three months in advance.

According to statistics, 160 million residents in urban areas in China rent a home, accounting for 21 percent of the total permanent urban population. A report published by home-renting platform 107room.com in March revealed tenants' low degree of satisfaction with landlords for reasons such as refusing to return the deposit, raising rent arbitrarily and refusing to pay maintenance fees for furniture and home appliances.

The inclusiveness of a city is exemplified by its attitude toward its migrant population. If tenants face numerous difficulties in renting a home, their sense of belonging will weaken. Therefore, it's necessary to protect tenants' rights and regulate the home rental market through laws and regulations.

The disadvantaged position of tenants also relates to the inadequate supply of rental housing. Therefore, the government should supplement the supply by increasing the amount of public or low-rent housing. Also, an effective system for hearing and settling complaints regarding home renting should be established, and punishment for violations of laws and regulations in the rental market should be stepped up.

(This is an edited excerpt of an article published in Guangming Daily on May 26)