High-rise apartment buildings in downtown HCM City. The city has introduced new rules to improve transparency in parking areas. — VNS Photo Bồ Xuân Hiệp

HCM CITY — HCM City authorities have ordered property developers to clearly define and disclose parking areas in apartment buildings, aiming to reduce frequent disputes with residents over ownership and usage rights.

The requirement, set out in a new regulation effective from late April, will force developers to provide detailed layouts of parking spaces when handing over apartments, including clear distinctions between shared areas, car parking and public zones.

Disputes over parking spaces, management fees and ownership of common areas have been common in recent years, particularly as the number of high-rise developments in the city has surged.

Under existing laws, parking areas can be classified as either common or private property depending on project design and sales contracts, but the rules did not require developers to clearly show those distinctions in handover documents.

The new regulation seeks to close that gap by mandating more detailed disclosure, while maintaining that ownership rights will continue to be determined by contracts and current laws.

Authorities also said that decisions on the commercial use of shared spaces must be approved by residents, and that revenue from such activities should be directed to maintenance funds after expenses.

The former HCM City area, excluding Bình Dương and Vũng Tàu wards, has about 1,440 apartment complexes, according to the HCM City Real Estate Association, with disputes between residents and developers still common over building management and maintenance funds. — VNS