High-end apartments in HCMC plagued with low-end problems

Some apartments in Ho Chi Minh City are in the billions of VND to buy but many wind up disappointed when the quality is proven to be poor.

Disappointment to live in “high-end” apartments

More than 200 households in Hoang Anh Gia Lai 3 apartment block on Nguyen Huu Tho Street, Nha Be District, Ho Chi Minh City, have recently denounced the investor, Hoang Anh Housing Development and Construction Company, for the bad quality apartments.

The apartment prime price is VND15 million (USD769.23) per square metre and has even climbed up to VND30 million (USD1,538) per square metre. However, only one year after living in these apartments, residents have felt panic due to their quick degradation.

Many owners said walls in their houses have become mouldy and cracks are found on the floor. The plywood has become bloated, making the doors unworkable. Although the affected families have brought up the situation with the investor numerous times, they have not yet received any feedback.

Pham Thi Kim Anh in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City, said in June 2009, she bought a 145-square metre apartment worth VND3.8 billion (USD194,871) compared to the base price of just over VND1 billion (USD51,334).

Just two months later, the main bedroom of her apartment started leaking, resulting in a water spill inside the room. She has hired construction workers to repair the room several times, but the leakage has become worse. Meanwhile, the investor of the apartment was unwilling to repair the problem.

After numerous complaints from residents, representatives from Hoang Anh Housing Development and Construction Company have affirmed its mistakes and promised to address them.

Saigon Pearl luxury apartment block in Binh Thanh Distirct, Ho Chi Minh City, is also in the same situation. Local residents said apartments often face power losses, except for elevators and corridors.

Meanwhile, apartment investors themselves stipulate many fees and hand over apartments late to owners. Additionally, interior decoration of many apartments do not follow contracts and a lack of parking space is still an issue in many apartment blocks.