The day-to-day life of the community is the business of owners and property, but many who are faced with the vagueness of property fees and the lack of services often feel “unjustified and unclear” and can only accept it passively. In fact, property management is governed by clear laws and regulations and service standards, which, if pursued at the heart of the problem, not only deter property from perfunctory, but also legally defend its interests. In 2026, the regulatory requirements for property management were further refined, and today, in plain language, three of the issues the property is most afraid of being asked by the owner, as well as the underlying policy rationale and rights-based techniques, to help the owner not lose sight of his/her communication with the property (in 2026, the standards for the level of property management services and the rules for fees, which are based on the most recent official documents issued by the local building department, the cdo, and in 2026, the specific rules for property management at the local level, which are based on the latest official documents issued by the local building department, the cdo)。
I. The core policy basis for property management is not “property mastery”
The rights and obligations of owners and property are not determined unilaterally by property, but are supported by clear laws and policies. Article 2 of the property regulations states: “property management, as defined in these regulations, is the activity of the owner, by selecting a property service enterprise, by which the owner and the property service enterprise, as agreed in the property service contract, shall perform maintenance, maintenance, management of the house and associated facilities and associated premises, and maintenance of environmental health and related order in the property management area.”
In 2026, local housing authorities further refined property regulations in the light of the civil code's provisions on property rights and property services, the core of which was “to clarify property responsibilities, guarantee the owner's right to know, and regulate the conduct of fees”. The boundaries of property and property rights were established at the legal level (in 2026, the local property management service standards and fee rules were based on the most recent official documents issued by the local housing department, the cdrc; and in 2026, the specific rules of property administration at the local level were based on the latest official documents issued by the local building department, the cdrc)。
Two, three questions. Property's the worst fear of owners
In practical services, many of the job gaps in the property industry will be exposed to the precision of the owner, and the following three issues are the core points of property management, and the property sector is least prepared to respond positively:
“can the breakdown and use of public revenues in the sub-region be publicized?”
Public gains from elevator advertisements, express containers, public parking, etc. In small areas, according to article 282 of the civil code, “income from the use of the joint share of the owner, such as construction units, property service enterprises or other managers, shall be owned by the owner after deduction of reasonable costs”。
The new regulations of 2026 require the property to be published quarterly in the district column, the details of public revenues, including the amount of revenue, expenditure items, retention rates, etc., and the use of public revenues to be voted upon by the general assembly of owners. For example, the city of zheng requires that the cost of managing public revenues derived from property not exceed 10 per cent of the total proceeds, and that the remainder be used for the maintenance of public facilities in the subdistricts or to offset property costs; the city of guangzhou requires that public revenues be accounted for separately and that owners can apply for access to the accounts at any time (the rules governing the administration of public revenues in each locality are based on those of the local housing sector; and the standards for the level of property management services and the rules for fees for each locality in 2026 are based on the latest official documents issued by the local building department, the cdrc)。
If the property fails to provide a clear public statement of proceeds, this may indicate possible misappropriation of proceeds and unclear accounts, and the owner may request a change in the property period or file a complaint with the building department。
“are there corresponding documentation for the rates and service content of property charges?”
The collection of property fees is not an arbitrary pricing of property, but is based on the principle of “price conformity” and is subject to filing with the local commission for development and construction. Under the measures for the regulation of fees for property services, fees for property services are subject to either government-directed or market-regulated prices, in which the cost of property in ordinary dwellings is more subject to government-directed prices, and the industry is required to publicize the level of service and the specific content of the service at the subdistrict rates。
In 2026, property fees were more strictly regulated at various locations, such as sian city, which divided property services into five levels, level i property costs of $1. 5 per square metre per month, corresponding to 12 specific service standards, such as cleaning, security, facilities maintenance, etc.; hangzhou city, which required the property industry to submit its programme of services and fees to the general assembly of owners for approval before charging them, and not to raise them without permission (local property fee levels and fees are based on local drc bulletins; local property administration service standards and fee-based rules are based on the latest official documents issued by the local building department and the drc in 2026)。
In pursuing this issue, the owner is able to impose a clear line of service on the property, avoiding “high fees and low service”, and if the property is unable to provide documentation or service content that is not in line with the fee rate, the owner is required to confirm, either through a general meeting of the owner or through judicial means, that the property fee has been exceeded, may not be unilaterally withheld, and may legally require the property to be repaired and part of the cost of the excess is waived。
“has the repair and adaptation of the communal parts of the sub-district been voted upon by the general conference of owners?”
The maintenance of lifts, greening, public area improvements, etc., in the small areas involve significant matters of a cross-cutting nature, subject to the consent of the owner of the exclusive portion of the total building and a majority of the total number of owners, as provided for in article xi of the property regulations。
In 2026, a digital inventory of property management was introduced at various locations, and the programme will need to be uploaded to the local housing sector property management platform before it can be implemented. The city of wuhan, for example, requires the property sector to announce the rehabilitation programme and the cost budget in the district 15 days prior to the renovation (the threshold for voting at the local owner's assembly is determined by the local housing sector, and the standards for the level of property management services and the rules for charging in 2026, which are based on the latest official documents issued by the local building department, the cdrc)。
In the event that the property is altered without the vote of the general assembly of owners, the owner may file a complaint with the building department to stop the construction and restore the property, and may also claim damages for the damage caused。
Iii. Geographical differences in property management at the local level, details to be kept in mind
In 2026, in the context of the implementation of the new regulations on property management, local measures of differentiation were introduced, in particular:
1. Proportion of public revenues allocated
For example, beijing and shanghai require that no more than 8 per cent of the cost of property management be withdrawn; and the cities of the central and western provinces allow for 10-15 per cent of that amount, with the remainder to be allocated to the owner's shared capital account (where the share of public revenue is based on a local housing authority's notice; where the standards for the level of property management services and the rules for charging are based on the latest official documents issued by the local construction department, the cdrc)。
2. Method of pricing property fees
Some municipalities have introduced government-directed prices for property charges for old and old neighbourhoods and market-regulated prices for new neighbourhoods, such as nanjing city, which established a maximum cost of $1. 2 per square metre per month for small areas to be built before 2000 and after 2020, which can be priced in consultation between owners and the property sector (local property fees are priced in accordance with the local development and reform commission bulletins; local property management service standards and fee rules in 2026, which are based on the latest official documents issued by the local construction department, the drc)。
3. Access to ownership
The economically well-developed provinces have established complaints platforms on the property management line, such as the zhejiang province of guangdong and the zhejiang province of zhejiang, where owners can submit complaints and check on progress in real time, while some of the 3rd and 4th-line cities continue to be dominated by sub-line complaints, where owners can report problems on the spot to the property section of the local housing sector (where the local owner's rights channel is based on the local housing authority announcement)。
In particular, in communicating with the property, owners should be careful to maintain evidence such as chat records, publicity photographs, payment vouchers and, if the property does not cooperate with the reorganization, to defend its rights through the local housing department's complaints hotline and platform for government services; in the meantime, owners should pay their property fees in a timely manner and, if the services fail to meet the standards, must confirm, through a conference of owners or through judicial channels, that the property fees are exceeded and may not be unilaterally withheld and may be waived by law。
The right way in which the rights of owners are protected is not “hard touch”
Many owners are faced with property problems, which tend to be “hard” in the form of arguments and refusal to pay property fees, to the detriment of resolving the problem. Under the new 2026 regulations, owners can legally defend their interests by:
1. Establishment of the owners ' committee
The owners council, an organization representing the interests of the owners, may be set up at the request of a joint owner, and after filing with the building department, is an important vehicle for the protection of the rights of owners by consulting with the property sector on the standards of services, supervising the use of property fees and organizing a general conference of owners。
2. Application for conciliation
In the event of a dispute between the owner and the property, an application for mediation may be submitted to the people's mediation committee of the local neighbourhood and local council, with the intervention and coordination of third parties, in order to resolve the conflict efficiently and avoid the time and financial costs of the proceedings。
3. Litigation or arbitration
If the conciliation fails, the owner may apply to the arbitral institution for arbitration or court action under the terms of the contract for property services, requiring the property to be liable for breach of contract, such as compensation for loss due to the non-performance of the service, refund of the fee charged for the breach, etc。
V. The deep-seated meaning of the new regulations on property management and the creation of harmonious neighbourhoods
In 2026, the new regulations on the management of fine properties were designed not only to regulate the services of the property, but also to promote the formation of a “co-management-sharing” model of governance between owners and property:
1. Clarifying boundaries of authority and responsibility
The new regulations clearly distinguish between the duty to provide services in the property and the rights and duties of the owner, avoiding contradictions arising from lack of accountability and allowing cooperation between the parties to be regulated。
2. Improving the quality of services
Strict supervision and supervision by owners can push the property industry to upgrade its services from “passive services” to “active services” to improve the living environment in the sub-districts。
3. Enhancing ownership
Public revenue publicity, voting in a proprietors ' conference, etc., allow owners to participate in the management of small areas, and enhance their sense of belonging and responsibility。
Vi. Communication skills that owners must know, and property friendly consultations
In order to communicate and solve problems with the property, owners also need to have these small skills:
1. Early knowledge of policy
Communication is preceded by a review of local property regulations and fees, so that they are “meaning” and policy-based, so that the property is not perfunctory。
Rational expression of claims
In the event of problems, emotional accusations are avoided and the problem and their claims are clearly explained, such as “the failure to publicize the elevator security records in the sector, with the expectation that the property will be publicized within three days” to improve communication efficiency。
3. Other joint owners
Problems involving the interests of the owners as a whole can be addressed in concert with other owners to the property, creating synergies and facilitating problem resolution。
4. Reasonable claims to property
Property may also encounter difficulties in the provision of services, such as the lack of funds due to the withholding of property fees by some owners, who may, while defending their own interests, understand the legitimate claims of the property and find solutions together (2026 regulations for the classification of property management services and fees, which are based on the most recent official documents issued by the local building department, the cdrc, and 2026 regulations for the administration of property, which are based on the most recent official documents issued by the local building department, the cdrc)。
In general, the new property management regulations of 2026 provide a clearer basis for the rights of owners, while mastering the three most feared issues of the property enables owners to take a proactive role in communication. Owners and properties are not rivals, and it is only by adhering to the rules and understanding of each other that a comfortable and harmonious community can be built together。
If there are owners and friends who don't know these points, share the article with them, so that more people learn to legally defend their community
Finally, don't forget to focus on me, and i will continue to read about people's lives in property management, housing rights, etc., and share more practical life in the community, helping to clarify and protect the rights and interests of the inhabitants
Topical discussion
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