New standards for home redecoration companies released

Home decoration quality standards were released on Wednesday by the Shanghai Consumer Council to regulate the market.

Consumer councils citywide received 1,471 complaints concerning home decoration services between January and June this year, a 148 percent increase from the same period last year.

Poor quality of work, upselling and dishonest actions drew consumers' ire, the council said.

"Home decoration is a long-time hotbed of disputes and complaints," said Tang Jiansheng, the council's deputy secretary-general. "The number of complaints grows each year accompanied by increasing demand for home redecoration."

"Cracking walls, water leakage, broken ceilings, uneven tiles, and wiring problems account for 40 percent of total complaints, and these can be fixed or improved," he said.

The new regulatory standards mainly involve requirements and methods regarding electricity, cement, wood, and painting work, providing a reference for consumers when they check the quality of the work to safeguard their rights and interests.

The council has made a video on a WeChat mini-program to help consumers understand some technical problems that may occur.

Eco-friendly construction procedures and materials are recommended in the guidelines.

Thirty-five home decoration companies in the city have actively supported the standards and have agreed to implement them.

"The release of the new standards will help ensure redecoration quality amid surging demand in the city," said You Wen, director of urban industry department of the Shanghai Commission of Economy and Information.