Hanoi requests mini apartments to have at least 6 m2 of parking space each

A document issued by the Committee on Thursday called for the main investors of housing projects to prepare enough space for two-wheeled vehicles to be parked. If there is not enough space, there must be a parking solution outside the building.

The committee has also requested for distances between vehicles, and have solutions to prevent fire, as well as isolating the vehicles from lobbies and stairs.

The charging areas for electric vehicles must be placed separately and at a safe distance from surrounding vehicles. Vehicles must not be charged overnight, the charging process must be monitored for safety, and there must be appropriate tools to deal with battery fire issues.

Apartments must have solutions for emergency escapes, with authorities encouraging apartments to remove their anti-theft metal cages, the committee said.

The requests were made in light of a city-wide evaluation of mini apartments and other structures with high fire risks, following a Hanoi mini apartment fire in Thanh Xuan District that killed 56 people in September.

Hanoi police said the fire was caused by a short-circuited battery of a petrol motorbike in the building's basement.