“When will Mongolians truly embrace urban living? No matter what requirements we set for the sake of public interest, residents refuse to comply. They only care about their own convenience. The moment an issue arises, they immediately point fingers at the Homeowners’ Association, yet they never reflect on their own responsibilities,” said the Executive Director of the “Narlag Urguu” Homeowners’ Association.
This residential complex, located near the National Sports Stadium, comprises four apartment blocks with a total of 252 households and eight elevators—but it has no lift operators, only two janitors, and the main office is inconveniently located all the way in Shar Khad, far from the complex. Despite a range of management issues, the most difficult challenge, according to the director, is the self-centered attitude of residents and the temporary, indifferent mindset of renters who treat the place as if they’re just passing through.
During the warmer seasons, it’s common for residents to renovate or repair their apartments. In some buildings, the noise is so constant it feels as if someone is running a full-fledged carpentry workshop on their balcony—saws, drills, and hammers clatter from morning till night. In extreme cases, it sounds like walls or ceilings are being demolished with sledgehammers and crowbars, rattling the whole structure like a war zone. It becomes so unbearable that some residents end up fleeing their own homes just to escape the noise.
In frustration, residents often turn to their Homeowners’ Association, expecting it to intervene. But the association usually responds with, “According to the law, we cannot prohibit renovations conducted before 10:00 p.m.,” and does little else to resolve the situation.
By legal definition, a Homeowners’ Association is “a legal entity with mandatory membership, established to manage, maintain, and protect the common property of public residential buildings, ensure their proper use, and safeguard the rights and interests of homeowners”.
Currently, approximately 680,000 citizens live in 8,007 public residential buildings across Mongolia, with over 1,640 registered Homeowners’ Associations operating nationwide. Yet many of these associations fall short of their intended purpose. They’ve become “toothless lions”, unable to properly defend the interests of residents or manage communal property effectively.
In response to these shortcomings, a revised version of the relevant law was submitted to Parliament last year. However, it has yet to be finalized or passed, leaving the system—and residents—caught in a frustrating limbo.
Demolishing load-bearing walls to be fined 500,000 MNT
“Living in an apartment building, some residents still carry out renovations that dangerously alter the building’s core structure—even going so far as to demolish load-bearing walls,” shared the head of the “Dul San” Homeowners’ Association in Bayangol District. “We constantly struggle to stop such reckless behavior.” Such actions are not merely irresponsible—they constitute a direct and deliberate threat to public safety. It is a stark example of how modern urbanization has exposed some of the worst aspects of individualism in our society.
Many of us have likely visited relatives or friends who have beautifully renovated their apartments, only to find that part of that transformation involved tearing down a structural wall. If you’re the type who can’t turn a blind eye to wrongdoing, you might have said, “You can’t do this. It’s not just about your home—it affects the safety of everyone in the building.” And yet the all-too-common response is, “Who would even know? And even if they find out, what can they do? It’s already done.”
This kind of callous disregard, this tendency to act in secret as long as no one is watching, chips away at the values that hold society together. Worse, it sets a dangerous example for future generations. Had more people been informed, they would know that such actions are punishable by law. The revised draft of the Law on the Management of Common Property in Residential and Non-Residential Buildings, submitted to Parliament on February 4, specifically addresses this issue. Article 17.1 of the draft law clearly states, “It is prohibited to alter the fundamental structural elements of common property in residential and non-residential buildings from the original architectural design, or to add weight or construct additional stories.”
This includes external walls, load-bearing walls, columns, basements, roofs, attic spaces, windows, doors, balconies, canopies, and garbage disposal systems. Furthermore, Article 17.4 stipulates, “If major renovations to common property interfere with another owner’s normal use of their private property, prior consent from that owner must be obtained.”
Violations of this law will result in penalties as defined in the Criminal Code. In simpler terms, if you selfishly decide to demolish a structural wall or column without permission, you will be fined no less than 500,000 MNT under the Law on Infringement—and required to restore the structural integrity of the building at your own expense.
But it’s not just about load-bearing walls. Any modification to partition walls or internal structures requires prior notice and approval from the appropriate authorities. This requirement is clearly stated in the Homeowners’ Association Law. If neighbors suspect that structural walls or columns are being tampered with during renovations, they must immediately report it to the Homeowners’ Association, and also notify the City Standard Control Department (formerly known as the State Professional Inspection Agency). Additionally, residents can call the hotline 310005 to request an urgent inspection by certified professionals.
Unpaid fees could land individual on credit blacklist
“Because of a lack of legal awareness, many apartment residents are unable to properly monitor the operations of their Homeowners’ Associations, and their participation in collaborative decision-making is minimal,” said M.Galbaatar, Executive Director of the National Council of Homeowners’ Associations. “To address this gap, we established the council to provide centralized leadership, oversight, and coordination across the country.” Of the approximately 1,640 associations operating nationwide, around 1,050 are members of the council.
M.Galbaatar emphasized that residents should not stop at simply reporting complaints to their own Homeowners’ Association, but should also raise their concerns with relevant officials at the district, city, or provincial level. These authorities, he noted, have become noticeably more responsive and transparent compared to previous years. If a violation is confirmed, inspectors from the City Standard Control Department can impose legal penalties under the Law on Infringement. In cases that appear to involve criminal behavior, the issue is handed over to law enforcement.
While Mongolia’s legal framework concerning the management of apartment buildings is now fairly well established, its effectiveness hinges on enforcement—and this in turn depends on residents’ willingness to be involved, act responsibly, and cooperate with one another. Living in a shared building demands a certain culture of mutual vigilance, where neighbors don’t turn a blind eye but instead raise concerns when something is amiss, correct what’s wrong, and support what’s right. However, in most cases, building staff or the associations’ workers cannot routinely check who lives on which floor, who is renovating, or whether anyone has demolished a structural wall or column. It is up to residents themselves to provide this information.
Yet the unfortunate reality is that many people still shift all responsibility onto their Homeowner’s Association, while not even paying the modest monthly fee that supports its operations. Moreover, M.Galbaatar pointed out that although around 70 percent of the associations charge between 11,000 and 20,000 MNT per household per month, the total unpaid dues owed by residents nationwide has reached a staggering 26 billion MNT. Some residents, when faced with legal action from the association, resort to sabotaging efforts for accountability by calling general meetings to oust the association leadership—an underhanded tactic used to avoid paying their debts.
In contrast, Homeowner’s Associations that have stable, consistent leadership and enjoy strong community engagement tend to experience far fewer problems with debt or non-compliance. One telling example comes from a resident who had refused to pay the association’s fees for over a decade, but after recent legal amendments were introduced three years ago, was forced to settle at least part of the debt. The provision that allows the association to refer unpaid dues to the courts once they are six months overdue has proven to be a crucial legal tool for many associations.
Even stricter measures are now being proposed in the draft law scheduled to be reviewed during the fall session of Parliament. If passed, the new regulations would allow the associations to impose a late fee of 0.5 percent for any unpaid dues extending beyond three months. Moreover, they would be authorized to restrict access to residents’ buildings by deactivating entrance chip cards and to partially disconnect electricity or other utilities. Residents who fail to pay their dues for more than six months could even find themselves listed in the Bank of Mongolia’s Credit Information Database—effectively placing them on a national credit blacklist.
If the debt is repaid, the individual’s name would be removed from the list within 14 days, but their credit rating would be downgraded as a consequence of the default. These new regulations also include provisions to make association’s operations more transparent and to establish a national coordinating body to unify oversight and accountability across all.
Ultimately, these reforms aim to reinforce shared responsibility among residents and to cultivate a culture where collaboration, transparency, and respect for common interests are not only encouraged but required in Mongolia’s rapidly urbanizing society.
