Outsiders Crowding Shared Facilities Disrupt Life for Ho Chi Minh City Apartment Residents

Quang Thai, 34, lives in a complex of more than 1,100 apartments in Binh Dong Ward. The building uses keycards to stop outsiders from reaching residential floors, yet internal roads, outdoor exercise equipment and other common areas remain open to anyone.

Every evening around 6 p.m., groups of non‑residents arrive to exercise or bring children and pets. The complex has fewer than ten exercise machines, so many residents find themselves queuing or turning back, even though they pay a monthly management fee that covers all facilities.

Thai says disputes often break out between waiting residents and outsiders. Security guards sometimes cannot resolve the tension and have had to call the police to escort non‑residents out of the area.

In August, a child living in the complex was chased and hit by a group of outside children. Earlier, in July, Kim Anh, 32, reported that her own child became afraid to play downstairs after being threatened by outside kids. She adds that her family pays more than VND800,000 (US$31) each month for the management fee, yet the playground feels unsafe.

An online VnExpress survey found that 53% of readers want apartment management to stop non‑residents from using internal roads, highlighting growing frustration among paying tenants.

Because identification now relies on security guards’ memory, the management is considering fencing the complex and limiting entry to a single gate. Nguyen Duy Thanh, vice president of the HCMC Apartment Management Association, suggests personalising resident keycards, issuing QR codes for guests, and installing facial‑recognition cameras at entrances.

The lack of effective access control means residents face longer waits, safety concerns for children, and a feeling that they are paying for services they cannot enjoy freely. Until the proposed measures are implemented, daily life in the complex remains strained.

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Outsiders Crowding Shared Facilities Disrupt Life for Ho Chi Minh City Apartment Residents

Outsiders Crowding Shared Facilities Disrupt Life for Ho Chi Minh City Apartment Residents

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