Chinese Man Discovers 34th Floor Flat Doesn't Exist in 32-Floor Building
Four-Year Delay in Discovery Due to Illegal Construction on Rural Land
Quick Look
A man in Shaanxi, China, bought a 34th-floor flat in 2013, only to learn four years later the building only has 32 floors, highlighting illegal grey market housing on rural land.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Grey market housing in China often involves illegal construction on collectively owned rural land, offering cheaper units with limited property rights.
A Chinese man bought a flat on the 34th floor of a newly developed building only to be told four years later that the building only had 32 floors. The man, surnamed Shen, from northwestern China’s Shaanxi province, bought a new-build flat in a village near the provincial capital city Xian in 2013. He bought a 90-square-metre unit on the 34th floor of a building which cost 2,646 yuan (US$400) per square metre. It was about one third of the average housing price, because the residential compound came with limited property rights. A flat with limited property rights is an unofficial name for a kind of grey market housing developed illegally on collectively owned rural land.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Increased scrutiny of grey market housing in Shaanxi
Likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What legal action will Shen take?
- How widespread is this issue in Shaanxi?
