Lawmakers propose legal oversight for mini apartment buildings

National Assembly members Thursday proposed amending the Housing Law to include mini apartment buildings, defined as those with two or more floors with apartments in each floor or with 20 or more apartments, Hoang Thanh Tung, chairman of the NA Legal Committee, said.

To sell or lease these apartments, the owner must meet the requirements a residential building developer does, which means they have to obtain permits and inform authorities about the construction progress, number of apartments and cost, he said.

The construction must be approved by the Ministry of Construction and national fire safety standard must be met, he added.

"These proposed requirements seek to resolve issues and increase oversight on mini apartment buildings."

There are thousands of these buildings in Hanoi and HCMC but are not regulated by the Housing Law.

Debates about the legal framework for this type of property have been heated in recent weeks after a fire broke out at a mini apartment building in Hanoi’s Thanh Xuan District on Sep. 12, killing 56 people and injuring 37 others.