VietNamNet Bridge – Residents' complaints have pushed the HCM City People's Committee to order a thorough inspection of all apartment complexes to discover any wrongdoing committed by investors and/or management boards.

The first-ever inspection of 1,244 apartment buildings will be conducted through June.

Do Phi Hung, deputy director of the HCM City Department of Construction, told local media on the sidelines of a meeting on Thursday that the department had received complaints about 58 apartment buildings, mostly about ownership of public space, maintenance fees and other charges and fire prevention and control.

Violators will be penalised based on provisions in the new Housing Law which will take effect in early July, Hung said.

The city will also investigate owners and users of the apartments on encroachment of public space that could cause pollution.

The department said that it had recently found 2,500 violations after 52,370 inspections of construction projects. Several of these related to apartment building constructions.

Le Quach Luc, a resident of the Nguyen Chi Thanh apartment complex in District 5, complained that its septic tank was built on the surface of the ground floor that is used for parking vehicles, and the stink greeted people whenever they had to go to the ground floor.

"We opposed this strongly and reported to the investor, but have not received any reply," he said.

A representative of the District 5 Public Service Co Ltd, the apartment's investor, said that the septic tank's construction was based on the design. The septic tank is being operated safely without any bad smell, which only happens when there is some breakdown, he said.

Nguyen Thi Hoa, a resident of the 540/1 Cach Mang Thang 8 apartment complex in District 3, said that the investor had handed over the flats to residents more than 10 years ago, but was yet to give the residents title documents for their properties. The investor was also allowing people who do not live in the apartment to keep their vehicles in the complex to earn more money, and these vehicles encroached on emergency exits that the residents are meant to use, she said.

VNS