Prohibition of Prefabricated Panel Houses
Currently, no policy document explicitly states a 'complete ban on prefabricated panel houses.' The core of the policy is 'governance and renovation' rather than a total prohibition. The specific policy directions are as follows:
I. Governance and Renovation as the Primary Approach, Not Complete Demolition The '15th Five-Year Plan for Urban Renewal' issued by the State Council in 2026 explicitly proposes to 'steadily advance the governance and renovation of prefabricated panel houses,' requiring the renovation of over 500,000 C- and D-grade dangerous houses and prefabricated panel houses, without mentioning complete demolition. Documents jointly issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development further limit the demolition ratio, stipulating that the demolished floor area within an urban renewal unit shall not exceed 20% of the current total floor area, and the demolition-to-construction ratio shall not exceed 2. This indicates that the policy leans more towards eliminating safety hazards through renovation rather than large-scale demolition of prefabricated panel houses.
II. Clear Standards for Differentiated Disposal Based on the results of housing safety appraisals, differentiated governance measures are implemented for prefabricated panel houses:
- D-grade Dangerous Houses: With failed load-bearing structures and overall danger, these houses require 'complete demolition when necessary,' with priority given to demolition and reconstruction. Such houses have lost their structural safety and must have risks eliminated through demolition and reconstruction.
- C-grade Dangerous Houses: With some unsafe load-bearing structures, measures such as repair and reinforcement, renovation, reconstruction, or original demolition and reconstruction can be taken. The renovation method shall be determined based on the actual condition of the house and the needs of residents, primarily to enhance safety.
- A/B-grade Houses: Structurally safe or basically safe, requiring only maintenance. Such houses do not need large-scale renovation; regular maintenance is sufficient to ensure safety in use.
III. Renovation Scope and Objectives Focused on Safety In response to a proposal from the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the Taiyuan Real Estate Administration Bureau stated that it would gradually incorporate eligible prefabricated panel residential buildings into the renovation scope in conjunction with the renovation of dilapidated urban houses, with a focus on eliminating safety hazards in C- and D-grade dangerous houses. The renovation objective is clearly 'safety first,' aiming to enhance the seismic resistance, fire resistance, and other properties of houses through governance and renovation, rather than simply banning prefabricated panel structures.
IV. Prohibitive Behavior Regulations to Ensure Safety Although the 'Fujian Provincial Regulations on the Safety Management of House Use' do not directly prohibit prefabricated panel houses, they explicitly prohibit behaviors that endanger house safety, such as damaging load-bearing structures and unauthorized alterations to the main building body, applicable to all types of houses. This regulation provides legal support for the governance of prefabricated panel houses, emphasizing the maintenance of house safety through standardized use behaviors.
Conclusion: The current policy focuses on 'governance and renovation,' with differentiated disposal of prefabricated panel houses based on safety appraisals. D-grade dangerous houses require demolition and reconstruction, while C-grade and below houses are primarily repaired and reinforced, with strict restrictions on large-scale demolition behaviors. The policy aims to eliminate safety hazards rather than completely ban prefabricated panel houses.
