DIRECTIVE

ON ENHANCING THE MANAGEMENT OF CONDOMINIUM QUALITY

Over the recent years, the demand for construction of condominiums has increased. However, the inspection of the construction and exploitation of some condominiums (of 9 stories or more) has shown that the designing, construction and installation management as well as the supervision and control of quality of construction as well as use and exploitation organization have been done inconsistently. In order to ensure investment efficiency, quality requirements and longevity and to meet the people’s increasing demand for apartments, the Minister of Construction hereby instructs:

1. The ministries, branches and provincial/municipal People’s Committees to enhance the inspection of the observance of the contents and order prescribed in the "Regulation on management of construction works quality," issued together with the Construction Minister’s Decision No. 17/2000/QD-BXD of August 2, 2000, and Circular No. 05/2001/TT-BXD of August 30, 2001 guiding the maintenance of construction works, by investors of condominium projects.

2. The investors of condominium projects must draw up plans to strictly manage the works quality right from the time of investment preparation, investment execution to the time of exploitation for use, paying attention to:

- On planning: The investors shall have to request the designing consultancy units to strictly comply with the construction regulations and criteria in terms of space, ensuring land use coefficient as well as the areas for greenery and parking, in compatibility with the construction planning of urban centers in the 5-year as well as 10- and 20-year periods.

- On architecture: To select outdoor architectural solutions compatible with the regulations on urban architecture and spatial planning, in which the to-be-selected cover materials (doors, exterior final-touch materials..) must satisfy the requirements of safety, function, economic efficiency, aesthetic view and longevity and suit to climatic conditions in Vietnam.

Doors and balconies must be designed so as to ensure use safety. The apartments should be arranged in a convenient manner, well meeting the ventilation and natural light requirements.

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It must be very careful when using pre-fabricated structure; there must be many plans for comparison before selection, so as to ensure the special load-bearing capacity, the longevity of joints and economic efficiency of the selected plans.

- On mechanical and electric equipment: The mechanical and electric system constitutes an important part of multi-storied projects, which requires high accountability and safety. This system must have use instructions and be checked regularly. The vertical transport system must well meet the use requirements, be subject to the regular maintenance regime; paying attention to the service of the disabled and the elderly, taking into consideration the demand for use in special cases (emergency, carrying stretchers..) The electric system must be designed with the use of materials fully meeting the

- On fire and explosion prevention and fight as well as anti-lightning measures: Condominiums must strictly comply with the regulations on fire and explosion prevention and fight. Apart from the fire-fighting measures of using fire extinguishers and fire-alarming system, there must be emergency stairs, which fully meet technical requirements. It is necessary to work out rules on cooking with attention being paid to safety measures for gas transportation, preservation and use. There must be anti-lightning designs approved and accepted by competent agencies.

- On environment: Apart from having to ensure the micro-climatic convenience of each apartment, each condominium must satisfy the demand for environmental safety for the whole area. Condominiums must have waste water-treatment systems and solid waste- gathering and -transporting systems. The investors should pay attention to the environment and landscape surrounding their works (parks, greenery).

3. The condominium owners and use managers shall have to disseminate the regulations on management of works quality to each household, requiring each household to protect general safety and perform its obligation in detecting unsafe signs for the competent persons to handle them. The owners or use managers shall have to take initiative in conducting inspection in order to detect violations against the safety of works and timely handle any deterioration; great deterioration must be timely reported to competent management agencies for handling.

4. To assign the Department for State Quality Expertise of Construction Projects to assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the Department for Housing Management, the Exploration and Design Management Department and the Science and Technology Department in actively inspecting, synthesizing, proposing and submitting legal documents as well as mechanisms and policies related to the condominium quality to the Minister of Construction for promulgation or supplementation and adjustment of existing regulations, so as to ensure safety in the course of exploiting and using condominiums.

FOR THE MINISTER OF CONSTRUCTION
VICE MINISTER




Nguyen Van Lien

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