Shipping container houses have been adapted into student dormitories in Guangzhou. (Internet Photo)
University student dormitories created from shipping containers in Guangzhou have been praised for their cost effectiveness and convenience, yet since the investors didn't apply for the necessary residential building permits, the homes may have to be shipped off elsewhere according to the Nandu Daily.
Recently, rows of newly constructed container-dormitories have appeared on the streets of Nanting village, where students have been busily moving in or hanging clothes outside their new homes.
Each container-dormitory is divided into four quarters with each community sealed off by iron gates. The dormitories stand two-stories high, with the first floor for male students, the second for females. Each dormitory is 18 square meters in size, contains an air conditioner, water heater, lights, simple furnishings and eight beds. At the rear end of each dormitory, gas piping is tangled together with electrical wiring and about 20 gas tanks line one of the walls.
One man, surnamed Chen, said he couldn't afford to rent a house in the village so he moved here to live with three other students, the rent is 150 yuan (US$23.5) per month. Compared to other student who rent a house for 700 yuan (US$119.6), Wang from Yangcun is quite satisfied with the place he lives, the monthly fee is three times cheaper than other students and he only needed to deposit 200 yuan (US$31.3) before moving in.
The general manager of Guangzhou Pearl City Property Leasing company said the land belongs to their company and the local authorities had approved their whole development plan. However according to Nandu daily, the container-dormitory is an illegal construction and is currently under investigation.
