Man buys apartment on 34th floor, spoiler: the building has only 32 floors

What looked like a bargain property deal soon turned into a bizarre real-estate mystery after a Chinese man discovered that the “34th floor” apartment he had purchased was located in a building that officially had only 32 floors.

According to a report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the man, identified by his surname Shen, bought a newly built apartment in 2013 in a village near Xi’an, the capital of China’s Shaanxi province. The 90-square-metre flat was advertised as being on the 34th floor of the residential tower.

At the time, the deal appeared attractive. Shen paid 2,646 yuan (around US$400) per square metre for the property, significantly lower than the prevailing market rates in the area.

The lower price was linked to the development’s limited property rights status, a category often associated with housing projects built on collectively owned rural land rather than conventional urban residential plots.

For years, there appeared to be nothing unusual about the purchase. Shen moved forward believing he owned a home on the 34th floor of the building. However, according to SCMP, the situation took an unexpected turn four years later when he began the process of obtaining official ownership documentation.

During the paperwork process, authorities informed him that the building contained only 32 floors. The revelation left Shen stunned, as the floor listed in his purchase documents seemingly did not exist in the official records.

The discrepancy stemmed from the way the developer had numbered the floors. In some parts of China, as well as several other Asian countries, developers occasionally skip certain floor numbers that are considered unlucky, particularly the number four.

As a result, buildings may display floor numbers that do not correspond to the actual number of storeys.

In Shen’s case, however, the issue went beyond simple numbering. The official documentation recognised the structure as a 32-storey building, creating confusion over how units marketed on higher-numbered floors should be classified legally.

The apartment was part of a housing complex built under what is commonly referred to as the “limited property rights” model. Such properties are often sold at prices well below mainstream urban housing because they are developed on rural collective land and can face legal and regulatory complications.

According to SCMP, these projects have long existed in a grey area of China’s property market, attracting buyers seeking affordable homes while carrying greater ownership risks.

The unusual case has since drawn widespread attention online, with several social media users expressing disbelief that someone could purchase a flat on a floor that did not officially exist. Others pointed to the risks associated with buying homes in developments with unconventional ownership structures.

Some users said the story only emphasised the importance of thoroughly verifying official building approvals and property records before making a major investment.

– Ends