Ha Noi sets buyer protections for 12 Muong Thanh projects

Ha Noi has put a buyer-protection framework into effect for projects associated with Muong Thanh that face construction violations. CafeF reported on 7 November that the resolution covers 12 projects, following approval by the Ha Noi People's Council.

On this page

The framework addresses a large gap between approved construction and the apartments actually built. It sets out how violations should be remedied while protecting buyers without fault from remediation costs; it doesn't mean every affected apartment has been legalised or issued an ownership certificate.

The scale of the violations

CafeF's report of 7 November 2026 gives the following apartment counts across the covered projects. These are reported project totals, not a list of units eligible for foreign purchase.

The distinction matters at unit level. A building's inclusion in the resolution doesn't establish that a particular apartment can remain in residential use, receive a Pink Book or be transferred to a foreign purchaser. Buyers need the treatment assigned to their specific unit, not a general assurance about the development.

Compensation is a process, not a payment already received

According to CafeF's 7 November 2026 reporting, the resolution provides for market-based compensation and relocation or replacement-housing options. Residents required to move must hand over their apartments within 90 days after receiving full compensation. Market-based valuation is the prescribed basis for compensation, not evidence that an amount has already been agreed or paid.

The same reporting describes a route to ownership certificates after the relevant financial obligations are completed. Ask the developer which obligations remain outstanding, who must discharge them and what documentation supports the certificate route. For a family living in Vietnam, any relocation proposal also needs a practical check: whether replacement housing preserves access to school and work, and what happens between moving out and receiving the replacement.

What it means for foreign buyers

You can buy an eligible unit from the developer, including stock it still holds in a completed building, or from another foreign owner. A developer purchase uses an official Sale and Purchase Agreement; a foreign-owner purchase uses a sale contract with that owner. You cannot buy from a Vietnamese individual under Article 17.2 of the Housing Law 2023. The exception is a foreigner married to a Vietnamese citizen and living in Vietnam, who has the same housing ownership rights as a Vietnamese citizen under Article 20.2.c.

Article 19 sets the foreign-ownership quota at 30% of apartments in each building. Under Article 20, foreign ownership runs for up to 50 years from the Pink Book date, is renewable, and becomes long-term (permanent) ownership once resold to a Vietnamese buyer. Buying from a foreign owner transfers the remaining term, with renewal still possible if it hasn't already been used. Owners can resell or rent out their property.

The resolution alone doesn't establish a foreign purchaser's compensation entitlement, replacement-housing eligibility or financing approval. Whether you earn VND in Vietnam or hold won, NT dollars, yuan or US dollars abroad, don't release a deposit or instalment based on a general promise of legalisation. Have VPM's foreign-buyer sales team check the seller, the building's remaining foreign quota and the Pink Book first, using the pre-deposit checklist. The VPM English desk can help review an affected unit's certificate and compensation documents over Zalo or WhatsApp.

Sources

• CafeF Bat dong san: Hanoi resolution prioritizes residents affected by Muong Thanh project violations (2026-11-07)
• CafeF Bat dong san: Hanoi resolution seeks maximum protection for buyers in violating projects (2026-11-07)
• CafeF — Vi mo: Hanoi seeks solutions for 12 projects under scrutiny and pledges to protect homebuyers (2026-11-07)
• CafeF Bat dong san: 246 Kim Van-Kim Lu apartments may be relocated over violations (2026-11-07)