Dear Readers,
The Beijing Administration of Industry and Commerce (BAIC) recently announced that residential buildings can be used for commercial (business) purposes with the approval of the building’s residents’ committee. Not long ago, in June 2006, the BAIC had banned the use of residential buildings for commercial purposes, forcing many businesses to move to different locations, and leaving others in mixed-use developments with uncertainty about their premises.
Now, business tenants of mixed-use developments will no longer face legal ambiguities about their tenancy status. Those who prefer to work from their homes will also be able to legally pursue a more comfortable lifestyle. However, certain types of businesses, such as food and beverage, entertainment, Internet cafes, and manufacturing are still prohibited.
In this issue, we present recent news about China’s real estate market, as well as a translation of the “Explanation of Relevant Issues on Registration of Residential (Commercial) Buildings” courtesy of Lehman, Lee & Xu’s translation department. We hope you find this information useful for all of your business’s real estate planning needs. Please email me with any questions about real estate in Beijing or the rest of China at elehman@lehmanlaw.com.
Regards,
Edward Lehman
elehman@lehmanlaw.com
