Melody Cheung, 16, St Paul's Secondary School
I do not think the government is justified in controlling rents and if you do think so, you may have overlooked some of the following facts and consequences.
Firstly, Hong Kong is renowned for its free market economy. It has been ranked the world's freest economy by US conservative think thank the Heritage Foundation for 17 consecutive years since the Index of Economic Freedom was first published. Hong Kong takes advantage of this rating to attract investors from around the globe to inject capital into the city and in this way it has flourished.
If rents are controlled, won't this violate a long-established system? It would be hard to estimate the economic consequences if investors lost their confidence and withdrew capital.
Secondly, if we allow the government to intervene, there are many difficult questions that first need answering. How will it adjust rents for the different types, sizes and ages of flats? What standards will it use for reducing the rent? How long should it control rents for? How can fairness and transparency be achieved? How can it strike a balance between the interests of tenants and flat owners?
Thirdly, rent control will inevitably affect the relationship between tenants and landlords.