Positive expectations

Zhang Qun, chief of the new countryside development department at the Wuhan Municipal Agriculture Committee, said the government has positive expectations for the campaign, mainly because nearly 3 million urban residents, or 30 percent of the population, are age 60 or older in Wuhan.

"Quite a few of these people have both the enthusiasm and financial capability to move to the countryside and enjoy life after retirement," Zhang said. "If 10 percent of them want to do this, that's 300,000 people. That could present a huge market opportunity."

Despite the benefits on offer, Zhang conceded that there are potential problems for tenants, landlords and regulators.

Some tenants are concerned that house owners may not honor long-term agreements and will terminate contracts when they feel like it.

Moreover, others want to buy the houses as an investment, but the current laws only allow outsiders to rent properties for no longer than 20 years.

Some villagers are worried that the tenants will adapt the houses for business purposes to such an extent that they will not be able to live in them in the future.

Some government regulators, especially those in charge of housing, doubt whether people who rent houses for business purposes will abide by the rules and refrain from expanding the properties illegally.

"But one thing is for sure, if your business loses money, the government will not cover your loss. The current policy does not even consider that," Zhang said.

"Our stipend policy is equal for everybody. We will put our focus on providing guidance in advance. People should act based on their own situations."