Consolidated Document No. 17/VBHN-BXD: Circular Detailing Certain Provisions of the Housing Law
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Based on:17/VBHN-BXD - Government Official Gazette
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This is a consolidated document issued by the Ministry of Construction, merging Circular No. 05/2024/TT-BXD (effective August 1, 2024) with three subsequent amendments (Circulars 09/2025/TT-BXD, 32/2025/TT-BXD, and 08/2026/TT-BXD) into a single, easy-to-reference text. It details provisions of the 2023 Housing Law, covering: a requirement for foreign individuals who own housing in Vietnam to notify the commune-level People's Committee before leasing their property; conditions for individuals building multi-story, multi-unit houses for lease (construction permits, fire safety); template forms proving eligibility and income conditions for purchasing, hire-purchasing social housing or accessing preferential loans to build or renovate housing; formulas for provincial housing development program and plan budgets; template contracts for sale, lease, and hire-purchase of social and resettlement housing; and a standard training curriculum for condominium operation and management staff, together with the full Condominium Management and Use Regulation attached as an appendix. Because this is a consolidated text rather than a new circular, it does not by itself create new legal obligations - it simply restates existing Housing Law rules in one unified, readable version. The parties most affected are real estate businesses, housing project investors, condominium operating units, condominium management boards, individuals or households seeking to buy, lease, or hire-purchase social housing, and foreign individuals who own housing in Vietnam. This content sits within the housing, construction, and real estate sector and does not directly touch VAT, CIT, e-invoicing, labor, or customs obligations, which are RegHub's core coverage areas for SME owners and accountants. It is therefore assessed as outside the platform's core content scope.
Overview
Consolidated Document No. 17/VBHN-BXD, issued by the Ministry of Construction, merges Circular No. 05/2024/TT-BXD dated July 31, 2024 (detailing certain provisions of the Housing Law, effective August 1, 2024) with subsequent amendments under Circular 09/2025/TT-BXD (effective July 1, 2025, related to administrative restructuring and two-tier local government), Circular 32/2025/TT-BXD (effective November 10, 2025), and Circular 08/2026/TT-BXD (effective February 15, 2026).
Chapter I - General Provisions
Sets out the scope (seven matters the Housing Law assigns to the Ministry of Construction for detailed regulation) and the entities subject to the Circular: domestic and foreign organizations and individuals, overseas Vietnamese, and relevant state management agencies.
Chapter II - Housing Development and Management
- A foreign individual who owns housing in Vietnam must send a written notice to the commune-level People's Committee before signing a lease contract, and must notify again within 15 days of the lease ending.
- An individual building a house of two or more stories with fewer than 20 units, designed with rentable units per floor, must hold a construction permit (or notify the commune-level People's Committee if permit-exempt) specifying floor count, units per floor, floor area, and parking area, and must meet fire-safety and fire-truck access requirements.
- Operation of such housing follows the attached Condominium Management and Use Regulation.
Chapter III - Social Housing Eligibility Forms
Sets out template forms proving eligibility (people with meritorious service, poor and near-poor households, low-income urban residents, workers, civil servants/public employees, armed forces personnel, etc.) and proving housing and income conditions for purchasing, leasing, or hire-purchasing social housing; plus forms for households and individuals to access preferential loans through the Social Policy Bank or a designated credit institution to build, renovate, or repair housing.
Chapter IV - Housing Program/Plan Funding and Contract Templates
Provides formulas for calculating the cost of building provincial housing development programs and plans (expert fees, consulting-unit management fees, other costs, taxable income, VAT), based on expert salary levels set by the Ministry of Home Affairs and travel/conference expense rules set by the Ministry of Finance. It also issues template contracts for the sale, lease, and hire-purchase of resettlement housing, social housing, and old state-owned housing.
Chapter V - Condominium Operations Training Curriculum
Sets a standard curriculum comprising general legal knowledge (housing, construction, fire safety, civil, land, and real estate business law) and seven mandatory technical modules (general condominium operations; electrical, water supply/drainage, and ventilation systems; fire safety systems; elevators and escalators; environmental sanitation and wastewater treatment; risk management, security, and disaster response; and IT applications), plus a practicum and written assignment.
Appendix: Condominium Management and Use Regulation
Attached to the Circular is a full Regulation governing the handover, receipt, and storage of condominium records between the investor and the management board; enforcement measures when an investor delays handover; and management of parking areas in condominiums with one or multiple owners.
Scope Assessment
The entire content falls within the housing, construction, and real estate sector overseen by the Ministry of Construction. It does not address VAT, corporate income tax, e-invoicing, IFRS accounting standards, labor law, or customs - the core areas RegHub tracks for SME owners and accountants.