China tightens loan rules to cool Beijing's property market

Potential home buyers check out a property project in Beijing. [Photo/VCG]

BEIJING - China's central bank announced Friday tightened housing mortgage rules to curb speculative purchases in Beijing's property market.

Targeting fake divorces, Beijing housing mortgage applicants who divorced less than one year ago will be regarded as second-home buyers and have to pay more down payment, according to a statement released by the People's Bank of China.

There will be stricter investigation of the sources of the down payment to ban leveraging financial products and the applicants' capabilities to pay back the loans, the statement added.

Real estate agents should not offer illegal housing financing tools like down payment loans, the statement added.

Beijing decided last week to cool the city's property market by raising the down payment for second homes and suspending housing loans with a maturity of 25 years or more.