A number of ministry-level departments, including those responsible for housing, customs and healthcare, have responded recently to matters of public concern.

Rules to protect interests of tenants and landlords

A draft regulation designed to protect the lawful interests of tenants and landlords has been released by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development for public comment.

One of its provisions says the interior decoration of apartments should meet national standards and not pose a risk to tenants' health.

Landlords should not rent kitchens, bathrooms, balconies or basements for tenants to live in, and landlords should show their ID and real estate ownership certificates to tenants before a lease is signed. Tenants should also show their ID to landlords.

Landlords who collect deposits from tenants should include the amount collected and when it will be returned in contracts, and landlords should not enter a rented apartment without the tenant's consent, the draft says.

Landlords should also take on the responsibility of apartment maintenance unless they have agreed otherwise with tenants.

Tenants should abide by laws and regulations and not damage or dismantle fire safety facilities or make alterations to apartments' load-bearing structures, it says.

Real estate agents should not coax or force tenants into applying for loans to pay rents by offering rent discounts or other measures, and they must not include any mention of such loans in lease agreements.

Commercial banks that grant such loans should make sure the length of maturity does not exceed the duration of the lease, the draft regulation says.