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Greedy landlords targeted by new rule

By Zheng Jinran (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2011-04-06 16:39

Neighbors can now report landlords who build partition walls to increase rent prices by housing more tenants, Beijing Daily reported on April 6.

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Residents disturbed by the excessive noise from large groups of people living together will be able to complain to the Beijing's housing authority under a new regulation which goes into effect on May 1.

The news follows an increase in the number of home owners who add partition or dividing walls to create more rooms and increase profits.

Housing regulators believe building makeshift walls in apartments and homes poses a threat to building safety with other residents forced to shoulder the burden.

Zhang Nongke, deputy director of Beijing Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-rural Development said building partition walls is illegal and they aimed to reduce the number of cases when the new regulation comes into force on May 1.

"The owners or tenants can apply for safety appraisal for those houses with added partition walls. Besides, the neighbors can also lodge a complaint for such houses for the sake of building safety. The authority will order the owners to demolish added rooms. The violators could face a fine as large as 50,000 yuan ($7,637)."