Shenzhen government has introduced a new property regulation requiring project supervisors to inspect every new apartment before it goes on sale.

The new regulation, which becomes effective Nov. 20, is expected to improve housing quality but insiders fear that supervisors alone may not be able to ensure the quality of housing.

Previously supervisors only inspected a certain number of new apartments in a complex. Under the new regulation, they are required to inspect every apartment, although they are not likely to point out any flaws in the houses they have built.

"The developer should organize both the constructor and the supervisor to examine the structure, floor, walls, water-proof systems, electricity lines and gas pipes of every housing unit before claiming the completion of a project," says the regulation.

Projects where the inspection is not completed before Nov. 20 are subject to the new regulation, according to the municipal construction bureau. Developers should give each homebuyer the inspection results.

While acknowledging that the new regulation is a "good thing" for homebuyers, Tu Zhibin, with a Shenzhen-based project supervising company, said it posed a challenge to the abilities of supervisors, who will face a major task inspecting all the new apartments. "The government should also enhance inspection on new housing, rather than merely relying on supervising companies. Or the inspection may become a mere formality," said Tu.

Editor: Donald