Photo courtesy of Tuoi Tre Vietnamese apartment owners do not automatically lose their homes when a building reaches the service life stated in its design documents. Instead, the building must be inspected to determine whether it remains safe and suitable for people to live in. Housing law expert Ngo Gia Hoang said Article 58 of the 2023 Housing Law requires checks when a building reaches its designed lifespan, or earlier if it is deteriorating, unsafe or at risk of collapse. Provincial and city Departments of Construction lead the assessments, while owners must cooperate with inspectors. The result decides the next step. If the structure is found safe, residents can remain and the authority must publish the further period for which it may be used on the Department of Construction's website. A safety review, not an expiry dateReaching the end of a design life is therefore not the same as an apartment title expiring. It is the point at which the physical condition of the building has to be reviewed. The inspection looks at whether key load-bearing structures have become dangerously weak and whether continued occupation presents a collapse risk. If the assessment finds that demolition is necessary, authorities begin the process of relocating residents, clearing the building and arranging redevelopment, reconstruction or another lawful use of the land. What happens if demolition is requiredWhere planning still permits a replacement apartment block on the same site, owners who want to stay are entitled to on-site resettlement. If a new block cannot be built there because planning has changed, owners may receive cash compensation or resettlement housing elsewhere. Those moved into replacement homes retain ownership rights over them. The detail can vary, including whether the property qualifies as an old apartment building. For blocks built in 1994 or earlier, owners are not required to contribute to rebuilding costs when demolition is for renovation and reconstruction. What it means for foreigners in VietnamForeign apartment buyers and long-term residents should not treat a building's stated service life as a fixed end date. The practical issue is its safety assessment, the local redevelopment plan and the terms of any relocation or compensation arrangement. Buyers should examine building condition, management records and planning status before committing to an older apartment. 7 September 2026
