Housing market faces division

House rents have increased significantly in major cities in the past year, which has seriously affected people's livelihood and deserve more attention in the ongoing Two Sessions.

National Bureau of Statistics data show rents in January 2014 increased 4.6 percent year-on-year, and demand for rental housing increased in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou (the latter two in Guangdong province) after Spring Festival.

According to Soufang, a real estate information portal, the average rent for 11 cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, was 2,742 yuan ($446) a month in January, an annual increase of 5.37 percent, much higher than the increase in the consumer price index.