Residents living on the first floor in Shanghai have been continuously excavating beneath their own home, uncovering a “two-bedroom, one-bathroom” space, causing anxiety among their neighbors on the same floor.
According to reports from Shanghai media on December 10th, over a dozen residents living in Building 7 of Lane 888, Lingshi Road, Jing’an District, left messages seeking help. The first-floor resident of their building has been conducting construction work at home, digging down to create a “two-bedroom, one-bathroom” area. Residents expressed concern about the structural integrity of the building, as the ground floor has been excavated, potentially posing a safety risk to the entire building.
Residents explained that the building has a total of 8 floors, and the excavated area is part of the first-floor unit’s mezzanine level, with an original drop of about 1.2 meters. The ground floor resident began digging down two years ago, citing moisture issues in their home.
Mr. Wang, a resident of the Green Garden Apartments, mentioned that the structure uncovered during the excavation matches identically with their unit on the upper floors. Authorities were informed about the situation but so far, there has been no concrete action taken.
The area excavated by the resident is approximately 50 square meters, divided into two bedrooms and a bathroom. Half of the walls in the excavation area have been equipped with water and electrical pipelines and tiled, while the other half still remains unfinished.
In early December, residents noticed construction workers entering and leaving the ground floor resident’s home, further excavating the previously dug area by about one meter.
To the dismay and concern of the other 15 households in the building, cracks of varying degrees have appeared on the walls of upper-floor units since the unauthorized excavation on the ground floor. Mr. Wang expressed that cracks have formed on the fifth and sixth floors, leading to leaks on rainy days and visible ceiling cracks. This has instilled fear and constant worry, turning their living environment into a precarious situation, and they hope for a restoration of the original structure.
The homeowner involved claimed that both excavations were to address the moisture issue in their home and had received construction permits from the property management.
The property manager stated that their management company took over in 2023 when the first excavation was already in place. The second excavation this year was permitted, but only to allow the ground floor owner to dig down about 15 centimeters to address the moisture issue. However, it seems the excavation depth has exceeded what was agreed upon, reaching about 70 centimeters.
Residents pointed out that the homeowner seemed to have excavated the wrong area, utilizing it not just to solve moisture problems but to extend their living space.
In response to residents’ queries, the property manager mentioned that they had inspected the excavated space, revealing furniture stored in the area excavated previously, including cabinets, tables, and a bathroom.
Residents argued that even if the excavation was aimed at moisture control, it should not compromise the structural integrity of the building, urging the ground floor owner to cease the activities and restore the original state.
To assess the current safety conditions of the building, construction experts were invited to the scene for an inspection. Experts expressed concerns about significant safety hazards existing in the building due to the ongoing excavations.
Guan Huaisheng, a teacher at the Real Estate Professional Institute and a house inspector, emphasized the potential risks of removing exterior shear walls, creating openings in the underground beams, and disrupting the beams’ structure. These alterations could lead to uneven settlement or collapse, posing a severe danger.
In response, the local Comprehensive Administrative Enforcement Team in Pengpu Town stated that the owner would be required to halt construction activities and be supervised to complete the necessary corrections.