More rules will be launched in the future to regulate charges and services of property management companies and to introduce market competition into the sector, said Wang Guangtao, Beijing's vice-mayor, in the 30th session of the Standing Committee of the 11th Beijing Municipal People's Congress.

According to a Beijing government survey, 63 per cent of the city's 3,127 residential communities had introduced property management service system to residents by the end of August.

The system aims to provide basic community services to residents including housing maintenance and equipment repair, community environmental sanitation, gardening, security and fire prevention.

Beijing has implemented legislation including the Beijing Residential Community Management Regulation to oversee the performance of property management companies, according to Wang.

Wang delivered a report on improving property management services at the two-day session which concluded on Tuesday.

Real estate developers run most of Beijing's property management companies and face little competition, said Meng Qiao of the Urban Construction and Environmental Protection Committee of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress, the city's top legislative body.

"The property management market has long been plagued with problems such as poor services and high charges, making individual buyers easy prey," Meng said.

Analysts have pinpointed these issues as the major hurdles in China's budding private housing market as Beijing phases out its decades-long welfare housing programme.

Complaints about housing scams and poor property management services have increased steadily over the last few years, said officials from the Beijing Consumers' Association.

As a fledgling business, the property management sector has greatly improved people's living conditions but it requires further development and regulation, Meng said.

The establishment of overall business standards will help renew the concept of property management among the Chinese and better protect the interests of investors, especially small ones, Meng said.

(China Daily 10/17/2001)