Central Bank and China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission： Financial support for housing leasing should adhere to the positioning that houses are used for living, not for speculation.
CCTV News:According to the website of the People’s Bank of China, the People’s Bank of China and China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission publicly solicited opinions on "Opinions on Financial Support for the Development of Housing Leasing Market (Draft for Comment)". Soliciting opinions, it is proposed to focus on supporting the development of specialized and large-scale housing leasing enterprises with self-sustaining properties. Financial support for housing leasing should adhere to the position that houses are used for living, not for speculation, and focus on supporting self-sustaining property-based housing leasing enterprises with independent legal person operation, clear business boundaries and real estate professional investment and management capabilities, so as to promote their large-scale and intensive operation and improve the supply capacity and operation level of long-term rental housing. Details are as follows:
Opinions on financial support for the development of housing rental market
(Draft for Comment)
In order to thoroughly implement the decision-making arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, support the accelerated establishment of a housing system with multi-agent supply, multi-channel guarantee and simultaneous rent and purchase, cultivate and develop the housing rental market, and promote the stable and healthy development of the real estate market, according to the Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Accelerating the Cultivation and Development of the Housing Rental Market (Guo Ban Fa)
[2016] No.39) and "Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Accelerating the Development of Affordable Rental Housing" (Guo Ban Fa [2021] No.22), we now put forward the following opinions on financial support for the development of the housing rental market:
I. Basic Principles and Requirements
(1) Support the structural reform of the supply side of housing leasing. Financial support for housing leasing should focus on the key points and aim at the shortcomings, mainly in big cities, focusing on solving the housing problems of new citizens, young people and other groups, supporting all kinds of subjects to build and rebuild long-term rental housing, revitalizing existing housing, and effectively increasing the supply of affordable and commercial rental housing.
(two) focus on supporting the development of specialized and large-scale housing leasing enterprises with self-sustaining properties. Financial support for housing leasing should adhere to the positioning that houses are used for living, not for speculation, and focus on supporting self-sustaining property-based housing leasing enterprises that operate as independent legal persons, have clear business boundaries, and have real estate professional investment and management capabilities to promote their regulations.
Modular and intensive management to improve the supply capacity and operation level of long-term rental housing.
(3) Establish and improve the financial support system for housing leasing. Financial support for housing leasing should be based on market allocation, providing diversified, multi-level and full-cycle financial products and financial service systems for the investment, development, operation and management of leased housing, with complete market functions, balanced structure and orderly competition.
— — Financial institutions have a reasonable division of labor. Commercial finance should meet the reasonable financing needs of all kinds of rental housing subjects in accordance with the principles of legal compliance, controllable risks and sustainable business. Policy finance and development finance are limited to providing financing for the development, construction and operation of affordable rental housing on the premise of meeting the functional orientation and business scope.
— — Innovation norms of financial products. Housing lease credit products should have clear functions, reasonable term and interest rate pricing, perfect risk evaluation and post-loan management. Direct financing products should be simple and clear in structure, sound and effective in market restraint and operation mechanism, transparent in product pricing, and true and compliant in capital use.
— — Optimization of credit and capital market allocation. The credit market mainly meets the needs of various entities to develop and build rental housing, as well as the liquidity and daily operation of housing rental enterprises. The capital market focuses on the development of long-term financing tools for housing rental investment. The credit market and the capital market can be coordinated and reasonably connected according to the income and risk characteristics of different links of housing leasing.
Two, strengthen the innovation of housing rental credit products and service models
(four) to increase credit support for the development and construction of rental housing. Support commercial banks to issue development and construction loans to real estate development enterprises, industrial parks, rural collective economic organizations, enterprises and institutions and other entities to build or rebuild long-term rental housing.
Payment. The proportion of project capital for rental housing construction should not be less than 20% of the total investment of development projects, and the loan period is generally 3 years, and the longest is not more than 5 years. Commercial banks should establish a perfect loan approval mechanism and risk management mechanism for development and construction according to the cash flow of various entities and the risk characteristics of real estate development, so as to improve the efficiency and management level of loan approval.
(V) Innovative groups purchase rental housing credit products in bulk. For enterprises and qualified institutions to purchase idle houses in batches according to laws and regulations for dormitory-type affordable rental housing, and specialized large-scale housing leasing enterprises to purchase idle houses in batches according to laws and regulations for affordable rental housing or commercial rental housing for long-term operation, commercial banks are encouraged to issue rental housing group purchase loans on the premise that risks are controllable, businesses are sustainable and implicit debts of local governments are not added. Commercial housing and commercial housing purchased with loans should be houses with clear legal relationship and completed acceptance. During the loan period, the rental purpose of the house shall not be changed. Leased housing groups purchase loans for a maximum period of not more than 30 years, and the loan amount shall not exceed 80% of the appraised value of the property in principle.
(six) support the issuance of housing rental business loans. If a housing leasing enterprise manages long-term rental housing with its own property rights, the term of the housing leasing business loan shall not exceed 20 years, and the loan amount shall not exceed 80% of the assessed value of the property in principle, which can be used to replace the loan for early development and construction of the property. For the non-proprietary rental housing formed by the housing leasing enterprises in accordance with the law and in compliance with the transformation of industrial plants, commercial office buildings and villages in the city, the term of operating loans shall not exceed 5 years, and the loan amount shall not exceed 70% of the total rent receivable within the loan period in principle.
Commercial banks should carry out due diligence investigation on the legal compliance of the operation and management of leased housing, the rental level and occupancy rate of leased housing, and the professional ability, financial status and continuous prudent operation of housing leasing enterprises, and design the loan term, interest rate and repayment method reasonably in combination with the operation and risk characteristics of housing leasing enterprises.
Housing leasing enterprises should take rental income as the first source of repayment. If the housing leasing enterprise has clear other repayment sources, commercial banks can issue pledge and mortgage loans, but the legal risks of pledge and mortgage should be carefully evaluated to ensure the enforceability of pledge and mortgage. On the premise of compliance with laws and regulations, commercial banks are encouraged to issue credit loans according to the credit standing and operating conditions of housing leasing enterprises.
Explore the role of policy housing finance, support housing leasing enterprises to hold and operate affordable rental housing for a long time, and give priority to meeting the housing rental needs of eligible new citizens, young people and other groups.
(seven) innovative comprehensive financial services for housing leasing related enterprises. Encourage commercial banks to actively explore financial service models and financial products suitable for the needs of enterprises related to housing leasing, and provide comprehensive financial solutions such as account opening, settlement, consultation and cash management to housing leasing construction and operation enterprises, housing leasing brokerage institutions and housing leasing management service platforms.
Third, broaden the diversified investment and financing channels in the housing rental market
(eight) to enhance the ability of financial institutions to put in housing rental loans. Support commercial banks to issue financial bonds for housing leasing, and raise funds specifically to increase the investment of housing leasing development and construction loans and operating loans.
(9) Broaden bond financing channels for housing leasing enterprises. Support housing leasing enterprises
Industry issued debt financing instruments, corporate bonds, corporate bonds, earmarked for rental housing construction, purchase and operation. Encourage the optimization of bond issuance process, improve the issuance efficiency of housing lease bonds, and provide financing facilities for housing lease enterprises.
(10) CoveredBond for innovative housing lease. If the rental housing owned and operated by the housing leasing enterprise has a sustained and stable cash flow, the property mortgage can be used as a credit enhancement, and housing lease guarantee bonds can be issued. Housing lease guarantee bonds are included in the bond management framework.
(eleven) the steady development of real estate investment trust funds (REITs). Steadily promote the pilot work of real estate investment trust funds (REITs), and raise funds for housing leasing enterprises to hold and operate long-term rental housing under the premise of controlling risks. Support real estate investment trust funds (REITs) share trading circulation, promote long-term stable operation, and prevent short-term speculation. Give priority to supporting xiong’an new area, Hainan Free Trade Port, Shenzhen Socialism with Chinese characteristics Pilot Demonstration Zone and other key areas supported by national policies and big cities with net population inflow to carry out real estate investment trust funds (REITs) pilot projects, and provide financial support for enterprises that use all kinds of construction land (including collective construction land, idle land owned by enterprises and institutions, etc.) to build, hold and operate long-term rental housing according to laws and regulations.
(twelve) to guide all kinds of social funds to invest in the field of housing leasing in an orderly manner. Support financial institutions, asset management products and other market entities to standardize investment in financial products related to housing leasing. Encourage housing leasing enterprises and professional asset management institutions to hold and operate rental housing for a long time through real estate investment trusts (REITs). Support long-term funds such as insurance funds to invest in the housing rental market. Encourage housing leasing enterprises and finance.
Institutions use interest rate derivatives to hedge related interest rate risks.
Four, strengthen and improve the financial management of housing rental.
(thirteen) strict housing leasing financial business boundaries. Housing leasing financial business should be strictly positioned to support the development of housing leasing market and not provide financing for short-term speculation. Housing rental financial products and services should be clearly distinguished from those of non-rental housing. It is strictly forbidden to finance non-rental housing in the name of supporting housing rental, and it is strictly forbidden to use housing rental financial products for commercial real estate development in violation of regulations. Financial institutions should establish and improve relevant business systems, strengthen compliance review and evaluation, and ensure prudent and compliant business.
(fourteen) to strengthen the management of housing rental credit funds. Commercial banks and other institutions should strictly review housing lease credit and post-loan management, strengthen the investigation and tracking of borrowers, project attributes and the authenticity of loan purposes, ensure that loan funds are used for housing lease construction and operation in accordance with the agreed purposes, and effectively prevent risks such as misappropriation and cashing out of funds. If the lease property of the project or the use of the house is changed during the loan period, the loan shall be recovered in time.
(fifteen) standardize the innovation of direct financing products for housing leasing. The direct financing products of housing lease should have excellent quality of basic assets, simple structure, clear legal relationship, open and transparent information and legal compliance with the use of funds. Relevant acceptance departments should clarify the business model of housing leasing enterprises, the use of raised funds and other policies and audit requirements, improve information disclosure and post-supervision management, take effective measures to ensure that raised funds are used for related activities such as rental housing construction and operation, and shall not be diverted for other purposes.
(sixteen) to prevent financial risks of housing leasing. Commercial banks, etc. lease housing.
Institutions providing financing should establish and improve relevant systems, strengthen compliance review and evaluation, and ensure prudent and compliant business. Standardize the management of financing subjects, formulate clear access standards, and implement list management for non-personal objects. Limit the debt level of all kinds of housing leasing enterprises and real estate development enterprises holding leased housing to ensure that their asset-liability ratio remains in a moderate range. Strengthen the monitoring of the operation and management, financial status and the use of funds of housing leasing enterprises. If housing leasing enterprises violate the loan contract, they should promptly take effective measures such as accelerating liquidation and collecting loans in advance to resolve risks.
Housing leasing enterprises must complete the relevant filing work on the housing leasing management service platform established by the housing and urban-rural construction department before financing. For direct financing products of housing leasing, we should fully reveal the risks related to housing leasing business and real estate market, establish and improve the risk early warning and disposal mechanism, and protect the interests of investors.
(seventeen) the establishment of housing rental financial monitoring and evaluation system. The People’s Bank of China took the lead in establishing a special statistical system for housing leasing finance, strengthened the statistics, investigation and monitoring analysis of housing leasing financial products, and explored the establishment of a policy-oriented effect evaluation system for housing leasing special credit. Relevant departments should strengthen the sharing of information related to housing leasing and give full play to the joint efforts of supervision.
The Shanghai headquarters of the People’s Bank of China, branches, business management departments, city center branches of provincial capitals and sub-provincial city center branches are requested to forward this opinion to relevant institutions within their respective jurisdictions together with the Banking Insurance Regulatory Bureau of their respective provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities), and coordinate the implementation of this opinion.