BEIJING: Chinese authorities have banned the practice of keeping cremated remains in residential apartments, a cost-cutting workaround adopted by some families to avoid rising funeral expenses.

The so-called “bone-ash apartments” — housing units used as resting places for the deceased — had gained popularity as mourners took advantage of the country’s subdued property market.

Under new regulations introduced by the State Council, the use of residential dwellings specifically for the interment of ashes has been explicitly prohibited.

The move comes just days before the Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb Sweeping Day, when families visit and maintain the graves of their loved ones.

Previously, some families opted for these apartments as they were often cheaper than cemetery plots and allowed greater control over memorial arrangements. However, authorities now require that human remains be placed only in designated burial sites such as public cemeteries.

Reports in Chinese media said such apartments were often identifiable by sealed windows or permanently drawn curtains, with interiors arranged in a traditional mourning style featuring portraits and ceremonial items.

Experts say the trend was partly driven by rising funeral costs and limited burial space as China’s population ages. A 2020 survey indicated funeral expenses could reach nearly half of the country’s average annual income.

Meanwhile, regulators have also introduced new measures to address fraud and lack of transparency in funeral pricing, aiming to ease the financial burden on citizens.

The development comes against the backdrop of a prolonged property sector slowdown, with falling apartment prices and declining consumer confidence since 2020, when tighter borrowing rules triggered a crisis among major real estate firms.