Tran Dinh Phuc has to bend his knees when entering his rented room in Hanoi's Nguyen Phuc Lai Street. At 1.70, the 21-year-old man can only be comfortable when lying on a mattress that occupies almost the entire area of the three-metres square room.
Leaving the central province of Nghe An, Dinh Phuc came to Hanoi to work. Phuc used to rent an apartment for VND 3.50 million (USD152). But after hearing about these tiny rooms for rent, he decided to move here in 2020.
"I'm out at work during the day, hanging out with friends in the evening, and only come back home late at night to sleep," he said. "So this kind of accommodation is suitable for me, especially when I can save lots of money as the rent is only around VND1.50 million (USD65) per month."
The room has only a mattress and a small shelf, just enough for the young man. He said that he ate out and had no need to use washing machines or cooking. "I've stayed here for two years and I'm pleased with this service," he said.
Living in the opposite row of such tiny rooms, a 19-year-old student from Thanh Hoa Province, Do Thanh Thuy, said that she chose this accommodation because it was cheap and near her university.
"I was a bit surprised at first to see the room," she said. "But then I found it ok. I'm spending most of my time studying, doing a part-time job, and hanging out with friends so I don't need an apartment. I only need a place to sleep at night."
A landlord, Chu Duy Luyen, said that this unique style of accommodation which is quite popular in South Korea and Japan, has recently opened in Vietnam and become more popular. "I've provided the service since 2019," he said. "I'm now operating this service in over 200 houses in different districts of Hanoi. The occupancy rate is always between 90-95 percent."
Luyen said that his customers include students and low-income labourers who are paying between VND 1.50-1.70 million a month including rent, electricity, water, internet, and cleaning fees.
At a four-storey house on Nguyen Phuc Lai Street, each room of 20 square metres is divided into six small cabinets using room divider panels. Each cabinet is equipped with a mattress, an iron shelf, a plug socket, and a ventilator. Meanwhile, people living in these cabinets will use a shared air conditioner, shower and toilet, kitchen, washing machine, and drying rack which are located outside.
"We find that this kind of accommodation is becoming more common in big cities like Hanoi and HCM City where rent is getting more expensive due to the rising number of migrants," the landlord said.