Ho Chi Minh City checks nearly 2,200 'sleeping boxes'

Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction has recorded 58 constructions with 2,165 "sleeping boxes" that pose potential risks, making it difficult to escape, and risking lives in the event of a fire or explosion.

The information was stated by the Department of Construction in a report recently sent to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, after reviewing sleep box-style construction projects in the area.

The sleeping box type was originally a service at the airport, for passengers to rest and work while waiting for the plane. However, since 2021, this type of cheap rental bedroom has flourished in Ho Chi Minh City. This model does not have regulations on fire prevention and fighting, so management and inspection are still difficult.

2 m2 "sleeping box" for rent at 2 million VND per month in Binh Thanh district. Photo: Dinh Van

Through inspection, there are 67 individual houses in the city that have successfully organized sleeping box businesses. However, the authorities have only inspected 58 buildings with nearly 2,200 sleeping boxes, 9 buildings have been closed by the owners and have not been inspected.

Of these, this type is most commonly built in Go Vap district with 15 projects (474 ​​sleeping boxes), Phu Nhuan district has 9 houses divided into 335 sleeping boxes, Binh Thanh district has 243 sleeping boxes built in 6 projects... The sleeping boxes are 2-2.2 m wide and are rented for 1.8-2 million VND per month. Most of the projects are high-rise individual houses that are divided by the owner, partitioned into rooms with enough wooden or plastic beds, without requiring construction or repair.

The Department of Construction assessed that this type of housing has a large number of people living in a small space, which does not ensure fire safety conditions, and poses a potential risk to life in the event of a fire. Therefore, this agency recommended that the city government direct districts to focus on inspection and handling to ensure safety.

A room divided into dozens of sleeping boxes for rent in District 3. Photo: Dinh Van

Regarding the handling of sleeping boxes, a leader of the Go Vap District Police said that the unit has fined and forced the demolition of 13 high-rise buildings and two coffee shops that divided rooms into sleeping boxes. When inspected, some houses had an area of ​​20-30 m2 divided into 20-25 rooms using plywood walls, mica panels, and unsafe electrical connections. Dozens of motorbikes were parked on the ground floor but there was no suitable fire prevention and fighting equipment.

These sleeping box chains are located near universities and suburban areas in the area to attract students and workers to rent them for VND1.8-2 million per month. After being forced to dismantle, the police re-inspected to ensure compliance. "The unit will continue to re-inspecte the sleeping box chains to prevent them from operating again," said the leader of the Go Vap District police.

According to Vice Chairman of Binh Thanh District People's Committee Dang Minh Nguyen, since mid-October, the district has forced the demolition of 42 business chains with hundreds of sleeping boxes in the area. Among them, there is a 5-story house divided into 125 sleeping boxes on Nguyen Thien Thuat Street, Ward 14, which was discovered by the inspection team to have a series of errors such as no escape routes, equipment, and fire protection system.

Mr. Nguyen said that for houses divided into rooms for rent with suitable areas, the district recommends that the landlord fix it, remove rooms, partitions, and add fire prevention and fighting equipment. For rooms that are too small, the local authority must dismantle them. "The handling depends on the actual situation of each project to ensure fire prevention and fighting," Mr. Nguyen said.

Dinh Van

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