House, floor and unit numbers: does avoiding 4, 13 and 14 make an apartment cheaper?

The feng shui content below is folk belief, for reference; every family has its own beliefs, and all deserve respect. Newspaper sources at the end of the article · Updated 23/10/2026.

When choosing an apartment or townhouse, many people look at the number before the area. This article answers three questions: which numbers people avoid and favour, how developers handle it, and how to weigh it so you do not pay a high price for a number.

Numbers often mentioned

Number	Common belief	Note
4	Sounds close to the Chinese word for "death", so many avoid it	A belief widespread in countries that use Chinese characters
13	Unlucky in Western belief	Introduced through international buildings and hotels
14	Sounds close to "death" when read as "thập tứ"	Some people avoid 14 and 17 as well
49, 53	By a folk saying about age, often called "unlucky" ages	Usually tied to the owner's age more than the house number
6, 8, 9	Favoured by many because they sound close to "fortune", "prosperity", "longevity"	Often the house and unit numbers most asked for

Two matters should be told apart. One is a number being considered bad or good in itself. The other is whether a number suits a particular person's age and element; this is traditional feng shui worked out by the five elements, with no general formula for everyone. Avoiding numbers such as floors 4, 14 and 17 is folk belief, and no law requires it; each person weighs it by their own beliefs.

Developers skipping floor 13: it really happens

The newspaper Phap Luat TP.HCM (04/05/2017) recorded many apartment buildings in Ho Chi Minh City where the number 13 does not appear in lifts or house numbers: Idico Tan Phu numbered the 13th floor as 14 and finally changed it to 12A; Sacomreal 584 numbered floors jumping from 12 to 14 from the start; Giai Viet (District 8) used 12A. According to the article, District 7 approved changing 13 to 12A but did not handle skipping a floor (13 becoming 14); Go Vap had to ask the Department of Construction; Nha Be kept 13.

This causes real inconveniences. Idico residents opposed the renumbering because it is easy to get confused when looking for an apartment and they lost the numbers they had chosen (such as 14.14, 15.15), and they demanded to keep the exact number in the contract. A buyer in Go Vap wanted to change the house number to avoid 13, but the procedure meant dealing with the developer and changing it for the whole floor; the person did not come back afterwards.

The lesson for buyers: the floor and unit number in the contract and on the legal documents must match the actual number at the building. If the developer changes the numbering, ask for a document stating clearly which unit on the floor plan is yours.

Effect on price and liquidity

No independent survey has been published showing by what percentage floors 4 or 13 are cheaper; there are only brokers' opinions. What is commonly seen:

• When the market is hot and stock is scarce: unlucky numbers rarely slow transactions.
• When the market is slow and buyers are choosier: a unit with an avoided number may wait longer or need a price negotiation.
• For rental homes: tenants usually care about price, location and light first; the floor number is rarely asked about.
• For resale: the next buyer may also avoid that number, so liquidity is worth considering from the moment you buy.

An article in VnExpress (28/02/2009) cited an architecture consulting company's estimate that about 7 in 10 home buyers care about feng shui, and 8 in 10 care about the owner's age and the house direction; this is one company's estimate, not a published methodical survey, and it is quite old.

Choosing a floor: practical considerations

An article in Ngoi Sao (14/06/2026) said units from floor 4 to floor 9 are usually well regarded for easy movement, steady water and little noise; for long-term living, prioritise floors 5–15 because fire equipment can usually only reach effectively up to about floor 15–16. This means floors 4, 13 and 14 can make sense functionally even though some people avoid them.

Tips for buyers

1. Ask for the price of the exact floor and compare with adjacent floors; if the "avoided number" unit is cheaper and you do not avoid it, that is a reasonable chance to negotiate.
2. If your family avoids it, do not force each other: look for a unit in the same position on another floor. See also choosing an apartment floor by element and apartment feng shui.
3. Cross-check the unit number on the contract, the floor plan and the developer's unit list.
4. Think about resale: a unit with a good location, light and legal status is still easier to sell than one with only a lucky number.

Tips for sellers

• Do not promise that "a lucky number will certainly rise in price"; describe the unit's real advantages accurately.
• For a unit with an avoided number: emphasise view, light, amenities and a reasonable price; avoid downplaying information in a way that misleads.
• For consigned listings, owners can look at HPR's consignment service.

Note: This article is for cultural and market reference. It does not claim any number brings luck or misfortune, and it does not replace legal or financial advice for a specific case.

• Phap Luat TP.HCM — Khóc, cười chuyện mua căn hộ tầng 13 (Idico Tan Phu, Sacomreal 584, Giai Viet; broker opinion on 13th-floor prices), 04/05/2017.
• VnExpress — Mua bán nhà đất "cậy" thầy phong thủy (estimate of the share of buyers who care about feng shui), 28/02/2009.
• Ngoi Sao — Khi mua chung cư nên tránh căn nào và chọn tầng nào là tốt nhất theo phong thủy?, 14/06/2026.