Land price list 2026: Investors worry about capital costs, people are 'afraid' to get red books

(CLO) The sharp increase in land price adjustments by localities will significantly affect people and households.

Recently, a number of localities, including Hanoi , have drafted a proposal to develop the first land price list, expected to be applied from January 1, 2026. Most of the new land price lists being developed have been adjusted very strongly, with an increase many times higher than the current land price list.

For example, according to the draft of the new land price list of Hanoi, in the central areas of the city such as Hang Dao, Hang Khay, Ly Thuong Kiet,... the new land price list has been adjusted to increase by about 2%. In which, the highest residential land price is recorded at more than 702 million VND/m2.

In particular, land prices in suburban and outlying areas are also proposed to increase significantly. For example, in the communes of Lien Minh, O Dien, Dan Phuong, Hoai Duc, Duong Hoa, Dong Son and An Khanh, the strongest increase was recorded, up to 26% compared to the current price list.

Most of the new land price lists under construction have been adjusted very strongly. (Photo: CD)

Other communes such as Tien Thang, Yen Lang, Quang Minh, Me Linh, Phuc Thinh, Thu Lam, Dong Anh, Vinh Thanh, Thien Loc, Dai Thanh, Thanh Tri, Ngoc Hoi, Nam Phu, Binh Minh, Tam Hung, Thuong Tin, Hong Van, Thanh Oai, Dan Hoa, Thuong Phuc, Chuong Duong also have proposed increases of about 25%.

Regarding this issue, the Vietnam Institute for Real Estate Market Research and Evaluation (VARS IRE) believes that the land price list is an important tool of the State in land management, budget collection, financial obligation calculation and as a legal basis for determining compensation prices and resettlement support.

Therefore, the construction of land price lists needs to be done carefully, scientifically and with a reasonable roadmap to accurately reflect market values, while avoiding causing disruption or creating financial pressure for people and businesses.

According to VARS IRE, the sharp increase in land price adjustment by localities will significantly affect people and households. In particular, the group that is carrying out land procedures such as changing land use purposes, granting land use right certificates, or receiving compensation and site clearance will be most affected, because financial obligations are calculated directly according to the new price list.

The costs of land use conversion, issuance of red books and real estate purchases may increase sharply, affecting low- and middle-income earners. In addition, the increase in land prices may give rise to complaints and disputes in areas undergoing compensation and site clearance if the adjustment far exceeds the approved price.

Not only affecting the people, the increase in land prices also directly affects real estate businesses. Compensation costs and land use fees, which are the largest expenses in the project development cost structure, will increase sharply, leading to an increase in total investment.

For ongoing projects, businesses may find it difficult to decide whether to continue or suspend them, as rising costs may cause the total investment to exceed financial capacity.

Meanwhile, for projects that have not been implemented, businesses can be more proactive in planning and compensation options, but whether the market will accept the forced price increase or not is still unknown.

“Some projects may incur losses or be slow to issue certificates to customers, leading to the risk of disputes,” VARS IRE warned.

This institute believes that all price regulations, including land price lists, are only relative, because in the long term, real estate prices are still determined by supply and demand. Therefore, it is difficult to build a land price list that meets the expectations of all interest groups. Land price lists are only truly meaningful when applied for specific purposes such as compensation and site clearance.

“If used for multiple purposes such as calculating land use fees, auctions or taxes, the price list will lose its practicality and needs to be flexibly adjusted to ensure harmony of interests between the State, people and businesses,” VARS IRE emphasized.

Therefore, VARS IRE recommends that localities need to correctly identify the role of land price tables – as a management and tax collection tool, not a tool to regulate market supply and demand. Stabilizing land price policies needs to aim at the long-term goal of transparency, fairness and sustainability.

This unit also proposed a clear division of responsibilities between the central and local levels: the State should issue a unified technical framework and valuation method, while localities operate and calibrate in practice. Along with that, it is necessary to allow localities to issue flexible adjustment coefficients according to each region, time, type of land use and socio-economic development goals.

In addition, VARS IRE recommends applying different rates for land use fees, land rent, taxes, fees, and charges depending on the purpose of use and the level of infrastructure and urban development of each region. The adjustment needs to have a reasonable roadmap to avoid causing "shock" to the market and sudden impacts on businesses and people - especially in the context of many localities perfecting the two-level urban government model.

Finally, VARS IRE emphasized the need to strengthen communication and implementation guidance, helping people, businesses and brokers understand the nature and role of land price lists, avoiding being exploited to "inflate prices" or create false expectations about market trends.

Source: https://congluan.vn/bang-gia-dat-2026-nha-dau-tu-lo-chi-phi-doi-von-nguoi-dan-ngai-lam-so-do-10316951.html