Central bank to take reality check on realty

Timeline of changes in property rules

May 1

Nanning, the capital city of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, became the first city to ease home purchase restrictions by allowing more non-residents to buy homes starting May.

May 1

Tongling in China's eastern Anhui province has decided to give people buying their first residential apartment measuring less than144 square meters in the city between May 1 and Dec 31 a deed tax subsidy of up to 1 percent of the purchase price. The city also eased the qualification on potential home buyers by cutting the requirement of six consecutive monthly payments into a housing fund to three months.

After May Day holiday

Ningbo, a city in East China's Zhejiang province, has allowed buyers to purchase more than one house in the city after May Day holiday, according to China National Radio website.

The authorities there have also replaced the two-place approval process, which means that prospective buyers will now only have to get the authorization where the property is being sold instead of also seeking approval of officials based in their permanent residence.

May 14

Tianjin municipal government lifted restrictions on residents purchasing a third property, Beijing Business Today reported on May 14.

June 1

Haikou, capital of Hainan province, entitled any Chinese citizen who buys a newly-built housing unit measuring more than 120 square meters in the city as of June 1 to five hukous, or providing permanent residence permit to a five-member family.

June 10

Shenyang, capital of Northeast China's Liaoning province, reportedly lifted its ban on home purchase, which means that anybody can buy more than one unit in the city, according to media reports on June 10. But Shenyang authorities denied this on June 11.

June 20

Hohhot, the capital of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, has ended all restrictions on home purchases, the first city in China to take such a sweeping step.

There will be no further limits on how many homes each resident may own, and those who don't have official residence (hukou) in the city may also buy apartments.

July 10

Jinan, capital of East China's Shandong province, has lifted all restrictions on purchasing properties, which means locals and non-locals can now buy as many homes as they wish. The administrative control on the housing market has come to an end after three years.

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