VietNamNet Bridge – The Ha Noi People's Committee has proposed a list of different service fees for apartment buildings instead of the current monthly ceiling price of VND4,000 (US$0.19) per square meters.

Last year, the committee announced a ceiling price of VND4,000 per square metre for monthly service fees that apartment building developer/managers could collect from residents. The move followed complaints from residents of five apartment in Ha Noi who sought help from city authorities to avoid service providers charging unreasonable fees.

The highest fee recorded was five times the stipulated level at Keangnam Landmark Tower.

The committee said the ceiling price had caused misunderstandings after about one year of implementation.

Deputy director of the Ministry of Construction's Department of Housing Management and Real Estate Market Nguyen Manh Khoi said the ceiling fee was for apartment buildings with equipment that needed high maintenance and cleaning.

For apartment buildings with better equipment, the fee could be less. However, many claimed the ceiling price for all types of services, causing disputes, he said.

"It's not feasibility to set up a fixed level of money for all types of services in all types of apartment buildings. This is simply a kind of commercial transaction between sellers (the developers/managers) and buyers (residents)," Khoi said.

Nguyen Quoc Tuan, deputy director of the municipal Department of Construction, said the new price list of services fees would be a base for the establishmet of service fees in different apartment buildings and would help curb disputes between building managers and residents.

The city would guide building managers to set up the service fees. Each building would have its own price, Tuan said.

Audit agencies would be in charge of assessing the fairness of service fees and compliance of two parties, he said.

Tuan said the proposal has been sent to the ministry for approval.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News