Guangzhou announces new property curbs

GUANGZHOU - The municipal government of Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong province, on Monday spelled out new rules to cool down the property market following moves by three other mega cities.

The government will raise down payments for second-home purchasers from the current level of no less than 60 percent of the property value, according to a government statement.

Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen governments have recently rolled out detailed rules on regulating the market, raising down payments for those purchasing a second home to a minimum 70 percent of the property value.

Guangzhou has ruled that non-registered citizens who come from other places should pay tax continuously for three years before they can make a purchase and are limited to only one apartment.

Other rules include increasing land supply for residential houses by 20 percent in 2013 compared to the average for the past five years.

Also enhanced regulations over property price controls and building a long-term mechanism for the housing market are mentioned in the rules.

Guangdong witnessed property prices increases of 20.7 percent year-on-year in October, the fastest growth rate nationwide.

These rules will help to put a brake on skyrocketing property prices, but the goals may not be easy to achieve by the end of this year, industry insiders said.