Country to pilot rural rental housing

China will pilot rental housing projects in designated rural areas in 13 cities, including Beijing, Guangzhou in Guangdong province and Shanghai, said a plan released on Aug 28. Under the pilot plan, rural collective economic organizations are allowed to build and rent houses on rural construction land either by themselves or via joint ventures, according to the plan issued by the Ministry of Land and Resources and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. The plan said rental housing projects should be carried out to prowork vide long-term housing for the renters to serve as examples for other cities around the country. The move will provide urban dwellers more options and aims to create a housing system that is stable and fair for renters and owners after property prices have surged over the past few years in major cities, especially in Beijing and Shanghai. The policy also aims to curb speculation by supporting the development of the rental housing market. In China, land in rural and suburban areas is owned by farmers and is managed by village committees or rural collective economic organizations. Meanwhile, the plan said renters of houses built in the pilot projects will enjoy basic public services such as education and healthcare. However, arable land should not be used for such purposes to respect the wish and interests of farmers, the plan said.