Has the Shanghai Container House Been Removed?

Whether Shanghai's container houses have been removed requires discussion on a case-by-case basis. Some legally existing container structures have not been removed, while illegally modified container houses have been rectified and removed.

Legally Existing Container Structures Have Not Been Removed

There is a three-story building in Dukou Road, Sanlin Town, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, stacked from more than ten discarded containers. It has existed for a long time, and part of the area is used as a potted flower house. A temporary house number is hung on the exterior facade of the building. Although the building is of a temporary nature, the house number is approved and established by the local police station, mainly for personnel information collection, and does not involve the legality of the building or housing property rights. According to relevant regulations, the temporary house number will be automatically canceled upon the removal of the building. Currently, there is no information indicating that this container building has been removed, suggesting that under certain conditions, legally compliant container structures can exist for a long time.

Illegally Modified Container Houses Have Been Rectified and Removed

• Miaozhong Village, Miaozhen Town, Chongming District: Six containers that were modified into houses without approval appeared. These containers were used as houses by residents, posing hygiene and fire safety hazards. After law enforcement officers conducted legal publicity and education for the residents, the container owner refunded the money residents paid for purchasing the containers and moved the six container houses away.
• Changhai Road Subdistrict, Yangpu District: Two containers modified into houses were found on the sidewalk at the intersection of Zhongyuan Road and Changhai Square. They were suspected of illegal construction, occupying the road and affecting traffic, and posing fire safety hazards. Law enforcement officers interviewed the person in charge of the container unit, informed them of the illegal facts, and the person in charge removed the containers from the site within the specified time, restoring the original appearance of the road.

Policy Basis and Judgment Criteria

According to relevant laws and regulations, the construction of temporary buildings requires obtaining relevant approval procedures. Unauthorized modification of containers into houses and placement in public areas or open spaces without a land use certificate is considered an illegal building, and the urban management law enforcement department can remove it in accordance with the law.