Hanoi (VNA) - The Ministry of Construction(MoC) has allowed the Dat Lanh Real Estate Company to temporarily apply theminimum areas of 25 sq.m for its commercial apartments. However, the apartmentsshould still ensure enough functional space for living.

The company’s deputy director on May 5 said thatthe ministry had answered their proposal of constructing commercial apartmentsof 20-30sq.m in area each.

The ministry said the Law on Housing 2005stipulates that apartments must have a minimum area of 45sq.m.

However, many localities also sent documents tothe ministry proposing that they be allowed to invest in commercial apartmentswith areas of 30-40sq.m each. In reality, the demand for such apartments amonglow-and-middle income earners in big cities and industrial parks wassignificant, it added.

The revised Law on Housing 2014 also removed theminimum area regulation for apartments.

The MoC said it planned to issue the NationalTechnical Regulations on Apartments in the near future. As a result, theministry will allow commercial apartments to temporarily apply the minimum areaof 25sq.m each while ensuring suitable design and construction of a closedapartment.

Duc said many property firms believed thatcommercial apartments must have areas of at least 45sq.m each while theministry had not issued an official position on the issue.

“The answer from the ministry would promote thedevelopment of the cheap housing segment to meet the demand of low and middleincome people in the big cities,” he said.

Earlier, the company submitted a proposal to theministry, the HCM City People’s Committee and the municipal Department ofConstruction to build apartments with areas of 20-30sq.m and prices of between 200-300million VND (8,700-13,000 USD) in the city.

It said the city should give support to realestate firms that invest in such apartments in terms of technical infrastructure,increasing construction density and reducing the time for completingadministrative procedures.

The deputy director said he asked the ministryto build pilot apartments of 30-40sq.m 8 years ago. The company built 780 suchapartments in HCM City’s District 12. All of the commercial apartments withsmall areas sold out quickly.

The apartments came into operation 3 years ago,and still ensure suitable living conditions for residents. This has proven thatthe small apartments have not affected urban planning. Good management couldfurther ensure the quality of such apartments.

In addition, more than 7,000 apartments of30sq.m each in the southern province of Binh Duong have been constructed tosettle many workers and poor people. The provinces of Dong Nai and Long An havealso prepared some smaller apartments. - VNA