Many residents living at aging apartment blocks in Hanoi are complaining about the everyday inconveniences and dangers of their buildings.

An old apartment block in Hanoi

Over the past two years, 29 households in the apartment block P16A on Thuy Khue Street in Hanoi, have been living in fear due to the construction of a nearby high-rise building, which affected its wall foundation.

Nguyen Thi Thoa who lives in the second floor said that many people have been living at the block for 35 years. Although the block is old, it had not shown any sign of degradation until around August of 2012 when Ho Tay International Building project started.

Now, most of apartments in the block have cracks in the walls, while the residents also suffer from the noise of nearby construction site, affecting their sleep.

Nguyen Phu Hung, a resident of the building said that in recent months men have been trying to prevent the construction activities, which have continued despite a decision to halt them from June 2013. 

The chairman of Ho Tay District People’s Committee, Nguyen Phuc Quang, said, “We have recognised the deterioration of the building and have considered moving these households other locations. However, the residents prefer that the Ho Tay International Building project's investors deal with the problems.”

Households in apartment block C8, in Giang Vo Ward, have complained for months that the deterioration of their building poses serious risks for them.

These are not isolated cases. Many apartment buildings in the city lack light and have deteriorating hallways and stairs, forcing residents to use torches when showing in guests. Many others have water leakage and other problems affecting the daily lives of those who live there.

A resident at an apartment block in Ba Dinh District said her apartment was initially just 15 square metres, so she had to expand the area for the four residents living there. However, if one household decides to expand, many others tend to attempt the same, leading to problems in the water supply system in the building.

Dao Ngoc Nghiem, former Director of the Hanoi Architecture and Planning Department, said that the repair and upkeep of apartments is required by planning regulations. Currently, Hanoi has more than 60 aging apartment blocks, and most of the families living in them do not want to move.

A solution for aging apartment buildings will be considered as an addition to the Housing Law. Accordingly, people living in older apartments may be moved to other places or offered spots in low-priced social housing units, Nghiem said.