KUCHING: The more than 500 families living at KMC Flats in Jalan Ban Hock here will have to fork out 30% more in monthly rental soon.
The flats, built by Kuching Municipal Council (now Kuching City South Council) for rent to the poor 50 years ago, comprise 22 blocks of buildings, the highest being seven-storey blocks.
Under the new revised monthly rental, tenants of the seven-storey single bedroom units will have to pay RM110 (currently RM85).
The new rental is RM119 for three-storey single bedroom units and RM156 for three-storey double bedroom units (up from RM92 and RM120 respectively).
Tenants in double-storey terrace houses will have to pay RM179 monthly as compared to RM138.
With the increase, the City South Council is expected to collect nearly RM790,000 in rentals a year, up from RM600,000.
The council, according to state Environment and Public Health Minister Datuk Michael Manyin, would charge the revised rental only after meeting the tenants to explain the reasons for the rise.
Manyin, who takes charge of local government, said recently that the revised rental was still much cheaper than the market rental rate in the vicinity of KMC Flats.
He said the nightly rate for a single room in a budget hotel in the area ranged from RM45 to RM60.
The council has been subsidising tenants about RM250,000 a year to maintain and improve services at the housing estate.
The subsidy will be reduced to RM72,000 with the rental rise.
The council, which spent RM1.3mil to replace six lifts three years ago, has budgeted RM800,000 this year for the rewiring of the three-storey flats and terrace houses, repairs to drains, repainting the flats and other improvement works.
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