The quality of property services is crucial for the comfort of the communities. In reality, however, a number of owners are often helpless in the face of a “silent response” to the “hegemonic clause” of the property industry, either insinuating or flinging. Indeed, under the new property regulations and the relevant provisions of the civil code, which have been in force since 1 january 2026, the owners hold clear “right to know” and “supervisory rights”, especially the following three questions, which strike at the core of the property services, and many properties are reluctant to respond positively, but the owners take the initiative and no longer have to be held by their noses。
Question 1: “how much concrete public revenues in the subdistricts? How do we use them? Can we look at the full accounts?”
This is one of the most reluctant issues in the property sector, as public revenues in many sub-regions have become “mistakeful”, and the new rules already specify the attribution and public requirements for this money。
Understand: what money belongs to the owners
In accordance with article 943 of the civil code, the proceeds from the joint share of the owners of the sub-districts shall, after deduction of reasonable costs, be owned by the owner as a whole. These include:
- public area advertising: income from elevators, buildings, sector entrances and gates
- parking gains: sector roads, co-located parking spaces adapted to green areas and planned parking spaces shared by all owners
- proceeds from the operation of the premises: express delivery containers, vending machines, occupancy of the premises for charging stakes, temporary storage rental costs, etc.
- proceeds from public housing: rents from rental of co-occupied housing are shared in small areas。
The estate's “diplomatic” against the owners
Many properties use the phrase “less income” to offset property costs”, “too high management costs”, and even directly reject publicity. However, according to the new 2026 regulations, the owner could have dealt with this:
1. Requires publicity: the property must have a separate bank to administer public revenues, a semi-annual disclosure of income and expenditure and a third-party audit at the end of the year, including income details, certificates of expenditure, management cost ratios, etc., and not only general figures
2. Clear management of the maximum cost: property charges up to 30 per cent of total public revenue, a specific percentage to be specified in the property service contract, sichuan, jiangsu, etc., and a maximum of 10-20 per cent, which may be returned by more than some owners
3. Knowledge of the purpose of the proceeds: the right to decide on the use of the public proceeds is vested in the owner as a whole and may be used to divide the owners, supplement funds for specialized maintenance, or improve the environment of the subdistricts, without the right to dispose of the property. In guangzhou, for six consecutive years, small districts have been paying public dividends to owners, and nearly 500 owners have received $300,000 in cash。
Legal basis
Article 943 of the civil code expressly requires that property service providers regularly disclose to the owner, in a reasonable manner, the operation and earnings of the owner's share of the business, and report to the owner's assembly, the owner's board. In the event of a denial of publicity, the owner may file a complaint with the building department or apply for a third-party audit to confirm that the stolen proceeds can be recovered in accordance with the law。
Question 2: “is there a link between the rates for property fees and service levels? Can the income and expenditure details be disclosed?”
Property fees are a serious area of conflict between owners and the property, and “high fees and poor services” “high and high” are common pain points, and the question is clear and can be addressed directly by the “fee mist” of the property。
Core elements: property costs cannot be “mistakeful”
The new regulations of 2026 clearly regulate the collection and adjustment of property fees, and owners can focus on these points when asked:
1. Fees and services must be matched: the pricing requirements and service levels for property charges must correspond, property needs to be publicized on specific service matters, such as security patrols, garbage disposal times, facility protection cycles, etc., and not only non-service fees or service failure
Price increases must go beyond the “two thresholds”: they cannot be determined unilaterally by the property, first by means of a cost assessment report from a third-party agency, which would publicize changes in costs for nearly three years for a period of not less than 15 days, and then by voting with more than two thirds of the owners of the exclusive part of the area and the number of owners, with the consent of a majority of the owners participating in the voting, with full supervision by the local council
3. Six types of fees may be withheld: pre-receipt property charges for more than 12 months, full-cost property charges for vacant premises (exempted for more than six consecutive months, with local rates ranging from 30 to 50 per cent), unjustified demurrages/fees, duplicated amortization fees, unagreed value-added services, high-priced entrance cards (first free of charge, no over-cost supplement)。
The estate's “diplomatic” against the owners
Property often avoids publicity on the grounds of “harmonized regulation” of “industry standards” “cost escalation”, which owners can do:
- to require full disclosure of income and expenditure: specific details include human costs, facility maintenance costs, material consumption etc. Under the property regulations, price authorities and real estate administrative authorities monitor property service charges and owners have the right to access the relevant accounts
- non-compliance with standards for the protection of the right to service: in the event of long-term accumulation of garbage, lack of security and delays in the maintenance of elevators, good evidence may be retained that requires property improvements, which may not be in place, and a reduction of up to 30 per cent of property costs as contracted
- disaggregating the types of fees to be charged: government-directed prices for new housing and housing security are not capped; the establishment of an industry committee allows for the negotiation of market price adjustments, and services can be increased, services may be reduced or even replaced。
Legal basis
Article 938 of the civil code stipulates that contracts for property services shall specify the terms of service, the quality of service, the criteria for the cost of the service and the method of collection; article 94 makes it clear that property service providers have provided services as agreed, and that owners may not refuse to pay property fees on the grounds of non-acceptance, but that owners have the right to seek relief or protection of rights in the event of non-compliance。
Question 3: “where are the funds for specialized residential maintenance? What is the balance? Do we use process compliance?”
This money, referred to as the “old-age money” of the district, is earmarked for shared areas, maintenance and repair after the end of maintenance of facilities and equipment, but many owners have paid for it without knowing how and where to use it, and the property industry often avoids problems。
Understand: core rules for maintenance funds
According to the act on the management of funds for the special maintenance of housing, the money is owned by the owner, who has the right to monitor its use in the exclusive storage and exclusive use of funds:
- scope of application: the basics of the dwelling, the bearing of walls, columns, beams, roofs, stairwells, etc., as well as the repair and repair of common facilities such as elevators, fire-fighting facilities, street lights, public-interest cultural facilities, etc.
- a reminder of the need to renew, in a timely manner, the account balance of the owner's sub-accounts, which is less than 30 per cent of the initial deposit
- emergency maintenance of the green channel: emergency situations such as elevator failure and water leaks on the roof can be activated within 72 hours without long waiting。
The estate's “diplomatic” against the owners
The property industry often refuses to disclose on the grounds that it is “process complex” “involving professional issues” “government administration”, as owners can do:
1. The requirement to disclose the use of the funds: including the total amount of the funds for maintenance, the amount of the funds used, the remaining balance, the name of each project used, the construction unit, the breakdown of costs, the vote of the owner, etc., and the obligation of the property to disclose such information on a regular basis
Verification of the use process: the use of maintenance funds is subject to the principle of “owner decision-making, earmarking”, general projects are subject to the vote of the relevant owner, emergency projects are subject to the required green passage and property cannot be diverted or misused
3. Search for personal balances: the balance of maintenance funds in their own accounts can be found through a network of local building department officials, government app or community service centres。
Legal basis
The property regulations provide that owners have the right to supervise the management and use of special maintenance funds; the measures for the management of special residential maintenance funds make it clear that maintenance funds should be used in an open and transparent manner, in a manner consistent with the beneficiaries and the burden bearers, and that responsibility for non-compliance with the use is commensurate。
Owners defending rights: remembering 3 critical steps, justified and not passive
Asking the right question is only the first step, and it is more efficient to do so in the event of a lack of cooperation and irregularities by the property sector:
1. Retention of evidence: the recording of each communication, the requirement of a written response from the property, the maintenance of a certificate of contribution for the cost of the property, maintenance records, publication of photographs, etc., are important grounds for defence of rights
2. Collective defence: to join forces with other owners or to communicate with the property through a board of owners, which is representative of the interests of the owner and has the right to demand that the property be fixed and that the relevant information be made publicly available and, if necessary, to apply to the board for assistance in mediation
3. Legitimate complaints: if the property continues to be uncooperative, complaints can be made to the local building department, the property management section or the 12345 government service hotline, where the facts are clear, the relevant authorities will order the property rehabilitation and legal recovery of the funds that have been appropriated。
In fact, property and owners are not rivals, quality property services can add value to the community, and owners ' understanding and cooperation can make property work better. However, all this is premised on “clear and transparent responsibilities” and property cannot evade its due diligence obligation to inform, and owners should exercise their legitimate rights on their own initiative. In 2026, the new property regulations were laid down in order to make property services rule-based and owner-friendly, and to clarify the three questions, not to “find”, but to make small areas more regulated and comfortable。
Topical discussion
Do you live in a neighborhood where property will voluntarily disclose information about public revenues, property bills, etc.? What more difficulties have you encountered in communicating with the property? You are welcome to share your experiences and views in the comment area。
Focus on me and follow up will continue to share the interpretation of the new property code, the skills of owners to defend their rights and the practicalities of their lives, and will take you to defend your legitimate rights and interests easily, and will not forget to forward this article to the next-door owners and friends, so that more people will no longer be blinded by the property's “mistake”
