Global Times: China to raise ceiling height standard to meet demand for high-quality housing

BEIJING, March 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ceiling height and natural lighting are key factors shaping residents' quality of living. At a press conference during the third session of the 14th National People's Congress, Ni Hong, Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, announced that "the minimum ceiling height should be no lower than three meters." This means China's national standard for ceiling height, which has been in place for many years, will change. 

Better living experience

Li Yujia, chief researcher at the Shenzhen Real Estate Research Center, said that the height of a house usually involves two concepts: "ceiling height" and "actual usable height." The actual usable height of a house, also known as the net height, is equal to the ceiling height minus the thickness of the floor slab.

Under China's home construction and design standards issued in 2005 and 2011, the mandatory requirement for minimum net height was set at 2.4 meters. The 2011 edition of the home design standards said that the residential ceiling height should preferably be 2.8 meters. "The word 'preferably' means it's a suggestion, and ceiling heights varies slightly in different regions," Li said. 

However, after many years, some of the requirements no longer meet residents' pursuit of living quality. During interviews, a number of residents said that the ceiling height design of their homes was insufficient to meet their living needs, and they were looking forward to adjustments.

"The ceiling height of our current house is 2.8 meters. It sounds high enough, but I'm still not satisfied with it," said Zhang Qi from Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province.

During renovation, Zhang needed about 20-30 centimeters of space for the ceiling to install an air-conditioning. "After the design, the remaining ceiling height is only about 2.5 meters, and it feels quite depressing to live in."

Yan Yuejin, research director at Shanghai-based E-house China R&D Institute, said that excessively low ceiling height can not only make residents feel the space is cramped, affecting their living experience, but may also cause the elevator to stop frequently or increase power consumption, reducing the operating efficiency.

In addition, a lower ceiling height may not effectively isolate the noise from the corridor, affecting the daily life of residents. Raising the ceiling height of buildings to make the houses "taller" is a positive response to residents' desire to live in "quality homes," Yan noted.

Adjustments in some regions

Several regions in China have already begun adjusting ceiling height standards in residential construction.

In September 2024, North China's Tianjin implemented revised residential design standards, raising the "preferable" ceiling height from 2.8 meters to a minimum of three meters, with stricter requirements for indoor net height. The local housing authority said that taller ceilings improve ventilation, natural lighting, and compatibility with modern systems like central air conditioning, underfloor heating, and fresh air circulation, significantly enhancing quality of living.

Kunming, in Southwest China's Yunnan Province, also revised its regulations to mandate a 3-meter minimum ceiling height. In East China's Shandong Province, the minimum ceiling height is set at 3 meters, and for homes with central air conditioning or fresh air systems, the standard increases to 3.1 meters.

Wu Shiyuan, a resident of Tonglu county, East China's Zhejiang, recently moved from a 2.7-meter-ceiling height apartment to a 3-meter one. She noted that lower ceilings feel depressing, while excessively high ones feel too empty, and the 3-meter standard strikes a balance, justifying the slight cost increase with improved comfort.

How should the cost of ceiling height adjustment be calculated? Liu Xingyan, director of a research institute under China Construction Second Engineering Bureau, said that compared to traditional residential buildings with a ceiling height of 2.8 meters, constructing homes with a 3-meter ceiling height incurs higher costs due to increased material, structural, construction, and equipment requirements.

Su Xianxin, chief project director of China Construction Second Engineering Bureau, said that at a project in Shanghai, each 0.1-meter increase in ceiling height raises construction costs by approximately 1 percent to 4 percent.

High-quality housing 

"To meet people's demand for high-quality housing, we will improve the standards and regulations on building quality homes that are safe, comfortable, eco-friendly, and smart," China's 2025 Government Work Report said.

"The quality of housing is determined by its standards," said Ni, noting that many residents pay close attention to various aspects of a "good home," including height, temperature, humidity, air purity, and natural light. 

Ni noted that the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development has been drafting the guidelines and standards for quality home construction and revising the residential project standards. One key update is setting the minimum ceiling height at no lower than three meters, he said.

In addition to setting standards for residential design, building "good homes" will be shaped by smart technology and modern construction methods.

"Good homes and new technology can enhance each other," Ni stated. On one hand, there will be a strong push to promote practical, user-friendly innovations in technology, construction techniques, materials, and products to tackle key issues such as poor sound insulation, leakage, cracking, and odor, Ni said, adding that on the other hand, efforts to accelerate the development of fully smart homes will also intensify.

"In these 'good homes,' lighting adjusts automatically, curtains respond to voice commands, temperature and humidity are intelligently regulated, health can be monitored in real time, and even the refrigerator can remind you when supplies like meat, eggs, and milk run low - just like having a thoughtful personal assistant," Ni explained.

From a market perspective, the push for "good homes" will spur demand for new technologies, materials, and construction innovations, while stimulating domestic consumption and economic growth.

In Li's view, raising residential ceiling height and constructing more "good homes" can better stimulate demand for housing upgrades. It can also drive home renovations, and boost the second-hand housing market by increasing transactions and rentals, creating favorable conditions for a more vibrant market, Li said.

"However, the new measures may impact existing housing projects currently on the market," said Li. "As improvements are implemented, future developments may offer homes with the same price but higher ceilings and greater comfort, potentially causing some buyers seeking upgrades to take a 'wait-and-see' approach. Therefore, policies should clearly define the effective date of the new regulations and outline a smooth transition between old and new standards to minimize disruptions to existing housing products."

The article was originally published on the 11th page of the People's Daily Overseas Edition on March 19, 2025.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202503/1330438.shtml

SOURCE Global Times