I really doubt the authenticity of the report on lowering of house rents due to the exodus of illegal expatriates. Maybe the real estate dealers are up to something by making such claims. I say this on the basis of my personal experience. As a matter of fact, a new trend is seen in Jeddah. In a bid to earn an extra dime, building owners divide a four-room apartment into two and rent them out. And instead of lowering the rent, they increase the rent of each part of the bifurcated apartment. This has become a common practice. I have no idea as to whether this practice is legal or not but it causes great inconvenience to the residents. In a bid to bifurcate an apartment, owners ask dwellers to vacate the apartment and that too, at a short notice. I believe that the reporter should once again check facts and figures and do a field visit to come up with new and interesting aspects. — Bassam, Jeddah