Pink book showing former Ward 12: what to note when buying a resale apartment in Binh Thanh

Basis: Resolution 1685/NQ-UBTVQH15 on reorganising commune-level administrative units of Ho Chi Minh City (effective 1 July 2025) · guidance of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment dated 10 April 2025 on updating cadastral records when administrative units are reorganised · Law on Housing No. 27/2023/QH15 · Updated 8 November 2026.

Many apartments in the Phan Chu Trinh – Chu Van An area are advertised with the address "Binh Thanh Ward", while the pink book held by the owner says "Ward 12, Binh Thanh District". Both refer to the same place. This article explains why they differ, whether the old pink book is still usable, and what to check on the pink book of the exact unit you plan to buy.

1. Former Ward 12 and Ward 26 are now Binh Thanh Ward

Under Resolution 1685/NQ-UBTVQH15 of the National Assembly Standing Committee, from 1 July 2025 Ho Chi Minh City abolished the district level; Ward 12 and Ward 26 of former Binh Thanh District merged into Binh Thanh Ward, directly under Ho Chi Minh City.

Before 1 July 2025	From 1 July 2025
Ward 12, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City	Binh Thanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City
Ward 26, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City	Binh Thanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City

Note: the other wards of former Binh Thanh District were merged into other new wards; not all of them became "Binh Thanh Ward". Some listings still mix up the old ward numbers, so read the address line on the pink book rather than relying on the listing.

2. Pink books issued before 1 July 2025 still show the old address — do they need updating?

Pink books do not change ward names automatically. Under guidance from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (document of 10 April 2025, reported by Sài Gòn Giải Phóng on 20 June 2025), issued certificates do not need to be updated en masse just because an administrative unit has been renamed; a pink book with the old address remains valid. Cadastral records are updated to the new boundaries when the owner requests it or when a land procedure is carried out, such as a transfer.

For a resale buyer, this means:

• There is no need to wait for the owner to update the pink book before transacting. A pink book showing "Ward 12, Binh Thanh District" can still be used to notarise the sale and purchase agreement.
• The sale and purchase agreement should state both addresses: the address exactly as on the pink book and the address under the current administrative unit, so the file matches both the certificate and the land registration office's data.
• At title transfer, the land registration office updates the information to the new boundaries. Ask the notary office and the branch of the land registration office where you file beforehand how they want the address written, so you do not have to amend the file.
• Supporting documents (ID card, residence confirmation, marriage documents) of the owner may already show the new address while the pink book shows the old one — this difference is normal; what matters is that the unit number, floor, block and land plot match.

3. Checklist for the pink book of the exact unit

The old – new address is the easy part. More important is whether the pink book is for the unit you viewed and whether that unit is eligible for sale. The 2023 Law on Housing requires housing sold to have a certificate, not be subject to an ownership dispute, not be seized for judgment enforcement and not be subject to a decision on land recovery, clearance or demolition.

1. A copy of the pink book of the exact unit. Ask the owner for a copy (all pages photographed) to check in advance, and see the original when you meet. Check: the registered owner matches their ID; the unit number, floor and block match the actual unit; the address shows Ward 12 (or Ward 26), former Binh Thanh District.
2. Mortgage status. Read the changes page of the pink book, then request information from the branch of the land registration office and ask the notary office about transaction-blocking data. A mortgaged unit can still be bought, but you need a written agreement on releasing the mortgage — see buying an apartment mortgaged to a bank.
3. Transfer conditions. Read the notes section of the pink book for any transfer restrictions; ask clearly what type of unit it is (commercial, resettlement…) because the type can affect the conditions for sale. If the pink book is in several names or in both spouses' names, everyone must sign, or there must be a notarised power of attorney.
4. The type of area on the pink book. An apartment pink book states the floor area of the unit — for apartments usually the net (usable) area, smaller than the gross area in listings or old contracts. Compare the type of area on the pink book with the area the owner quotes and recalculate the price per m² yourself — see gross-wall and net floor area.

Besides the pink book, ask the building management board to confirm any outstanding management fees and for the maintenance fund receipt. The remaining steps (notarisation documents, transfer taxes and fees) are in checking a project's legal status and apartment title transfer procedure and costs.

4. Example: 1050 Chu Van An apartment building (1050 Phan Chu Trinh)

The 1050 Chu Van An apartment building, which the press calls the 1050 Phan Chu Trinh apartment building, is on Phan Chu Trinh Street, Binh Thanh Ward (Ward 12, former Binh Thanh District). According to the Mogivi project information page, it has 2 blocks of 20 storeys and about 1,050 apartments of 60–90 m², already handed over — these scale figures have no official document to cross-check, and HPR is confirming them.

Apartments here received pink books before 1 July 2025, so the pink books show the address Ward 12, Binh Thanh District. When buying a resale unit in the project, apply the checklist above; read the transfer conditions especially carefully, because the land around the building belongs to the Resettlement – Sports Centre – Green Park Project (Tuổi Trẻ, 5 August 2026), and no public document yet specifies the type of each unit.

A 55 m² unit with its own pink book in the project is consigned for sale with HPR, with the owner asking 3.1 billion VND (documents verified by HPR on 25 October 2026). This is a reference asking price for one unit, not a general project price; actual prices vary by block, floor, orientation, size and condition. For pros and cons of buying resale, see is the 1050 Chu Van An apartment building worth buying.

5. See also

• Checking a project's legal status — documents to read before buying.
• Apartments and homes consigned with HPR — each listing shows the date HPR verified its documents.
• If you own an apartment in Binh Thanh and want to sell or rent it out: consign real estate with HPR.

This article is for reference and does not replace legal advice for your specific case. Project information may change — HPR does not commit to any price or price growth.

Sources in Vietnamese; titles kept in the original, with a short English translation in brackets.

• Resolution 1685/NQ-UBTVQH15 on reorganising commune-level administrative units of Ho Chi Minh City in 2025, effective 1 July 2025 — Ward 12 and Ward 26 (Binh Thanh District) → Binh Thanh Ward; cross-checked against the list of new administrative units on the HPR website (accessed 8 November 2026).
• Sài Gòn Giải Phóng, Khi sáp nhập địa giới hành chính: Người dân không cần điều chỉnh "sổ đỏ" (When administrative boundaries merge, people do not need to amend their "red books"), 20 June 2025 — guidance of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment dated 10 April 2025 (accessed 8 November 2026).
• Tạp chí Luật sư Việt Nam, Không bắt buộc người dân điều chỉnh giấy tờ đất đai sau sáp nhập (People are not required to amend land documents after mergers), 16 June 2025 (accessed 8 November 2026).
• Luật Nhà ở số 27/2023/QH15 (Law on Housing No. 27/2023/QH15) — conditions for housing to be sold.
• Tuổi Trẻ, Rác tái diễn ở chung cư 1050 Phan Chu Trinh, phường Bình Thạnh tính lắp camera (Rubbish returns at the 1050 Phan Chu Trinh apartment building; Binh Thanh Ward plans cameras), 5 August 2026 — name, land belonging to the Resettlement – Sports Centre – Green Park Project.
• Mogivi, Chung Cư 1050 — scale of 2 blocks of 20 storeys, 1,050 units, 60–90 m² (project information page, not an official document).