Draft law gives lessees priority to rent property

Six draft sections on specific areas of civil law were submitted to China's top legislature on Monday, beginning the second phase of formulating the country's long-expected civil code.

The draft on contracts gives priority to the lessee to lease in order to protect the lessee's interests and facilitate the healthy development of the housing rental market.

It stipulates that when tenancy expires, a home lessee has the priority to lease the property on equal conditions.

It also stipulates that when tenancy expires and the lessee continues to rent the lease, if the leaser doesn't raise an objection, then the original lease contract is valid, but with an unspecified term.