Boost oversight on property managers, say Beijing judges

Judges have urged the Beijing city government to increase supervision of property managers at office blocks and residential communities to reduce conflicts with tenants.

Beijing No 1 Intermediate People's Court has handled 1,373 cases involving property management firms in the past four and a half years, and 73 percent centered on poor service or disputed fees.

"Some property managers in communities did not comply with their contracts with tenants, and some even asked for irregular charges," said Sun Guoming, the court's vice-president.

He suggested service providers disclose their expenses, such as spending on repairs and maintenance of shared facilities, so that tenants can see how their property fees are used.

"It's also necessary to strengthen supervision, making specific and unified rules on property fees," Sun added. "This will reduce disputes, and residents will be given better services."

The court issued a guideline for residents on Wednesday to clarify procedures on filing a lawsuits against property management companies.

"The guideline informs litigants what materials they should submit to the court, and offers advice on related laws and regulations," said Gao Ping, chief judge of the court's No 2 civil tribunal.

She added that firms could also prevent conflicts by providing regular training for their employees and improving communication with tenants.