AT least 11 Chinese cities have eased restrictions on residency-permits this year, potentially giving their ailing property markets a boost.

The moves are seen as part of a “stealth easing” of property curbs that have helped keep a lid on housing prices.

New-home prices rose at the slowest pace in eight months in December 2018, the most recent data showed.

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The age limit for people with a high-school-equivalent vocational degrees was raised to 45 from 35.

A hukou holder can buy as many as two residential properties in the Shaanxi provincial capital.

Otherwise, a prospective buyer would need to have paid two years of income or social securities tax to qualify to purchase property, and be limited to one unit.

Last year, more than 100 cities eased residency policies to attract skilled workers, helping spur housing demand and push prices higher, according to Zhang Dawei, an analyst at Centaline Group.

“Those policies are equivalent to lowering home-buying thresholds,” he said.

Source: Bloomberg