Of the two structures mentioned above (encompassing a total of 500 units in all), the mini apartment building on Street 32, belonging to the Saigon Hoang Anh company, was built in 2017 about 10 km from the city center. The investors advertised the 4,000m2-building with 300 homes at a price of VND280 million ($11,482) per unit for 20-year leases.
The Thu Duc City People's Committee said the building in fact belongs to two individuals who turned separate houses into an apartment building for sale. In 2018, authorities fined them for illegal construction and sale.
In 2020, authorities issued a decision to dismantle parts of the structure for violations of various regulations. The main investors, however, asked to let them remedy the mistakes themselves.
On October 3, an aerial view of the building revealed it to be incomplete and dilapidated, with thriving plant life rapidly invading its premises and taking it over.
The three-floor structure's electricity and water systems have been completed, but the first floor of the project, with its exposed beam system and water pipes is a mess: rainwater pools on the floor, dirty and broken construction materials lying around, swamp life and jungle greenery creeping into the complex.
The 1.5m-wide corridor running between rows of apartments on the first floor is fully filled with weeds and invasive vegetation.
Vines and bushes have climbed the stairs and crept in to fill up spaces on the above floors as well.
The building's firefighting system is incomplete and is has been so degraded by exposure to the elements that it likely does not work properly anymore.
Parts of the structures were dismantled by Thu Duc City authorities before project investors asked to be allowed to repair the complex themselves.
Nguyen Thi Thanh Loan, chairwoman of the Linh Dong Ward People's Committee, said the building's owners have hired contractors to dismantle 65% of the buildings, but progress has been halted due to structural difficulties.
Around 3 km away from the location, another apartment building on Street 36 has also been fined by authorities. Sections were dismantled in 2020 and entrances into the area have been barricaded. The three-story structure has been left abandoned and is surrounded by a 2,600m2 lot covered in an abundance of ever-growing, ever-expanding vegetation.
The project was advertised as "Vietnam House Tower" with 190 apartments. Its main investor is the Vietnam House Commerce, Service and Construction Company.
Each apartment spans 21-26m2 and costs VND300-400 million. Since 2017, around 200 customers have bought apartments at the facility.
The Thu Duc City People's Committee said the mini apartment building was in fact another housing project owned by two individuals. After the duo gained approval to construct buildings with three floors, the project investors illicitly merged the buildings together and made the conjoined complex five floors instead. The parts of the structure in violation of the project certification span over 600 m2 in total, according to authorities.
Most aspects of some apartments in the building have been completed at a basic level. But some rooms are now damaged due to the dismantling.
"The unit is cooperating with the HCMC Department of Construction to find ways to completely dismantle the structures," said the chairman of Linh Dong Ward.
HCMC police said the city has around 42,200 mini apartments for rent. Most are equipped with firefighting systems, but they still harbor many risks. Following the deadly mini apartment fire in Hanoi, authorities have performed fire safety checks in the city, resulting in penalties issued to over 1,500 facilities for a total of over VND2.4 billion ($98,421) in fines.
Personal houses in Vietnam are not required to meet fire safety regulations, but apartment buildings are.
Certain investors would avoid the procedures by applying for construction permit for a private house, then changing the building's structures, adding floors and setting up walls for apartments for sale or rent.
