Residential flats to be allowed to operate as offices

The new draft regulates that to be used as office, an apartment is required to ensure a minimum average area of at least 8sq.m per person.

In order for a residential apartment to be used as a commercial office, the user must receive the approval of at least two thirds of the households in the building and all households on the same floor.

Commercial activities are required not to affect neighbouring residents and must abide by fire regulations and other legal requirements.

Office representatives are responsible for participating in training courses to obtain fire prevention and fire fighting certification. The office must also be permanently staffed.

The Ministry of Construction emphasised that these office apartments would not be allowed to be used for production, warehouses, training facilities, nor for job brokering, or real estate trading.

If the draft is approved, businesses already occupying apartments carrying out such services will be ordered to stop their business activities 90 days after the draft is effective.

The draft is complied after the ministry had studied the usage of apartments in some provinces and cities. The ministry is still consulting other ministries and sectors. The consultation period will last until the end of this month.

In January 2010, the Ministry of Construction banned the use of apartments for commercial offices.