Mandatory purchase of fire insurance from July 1: Necessary policy but people do not know

This is considered an urgent policy in the context of recent serious fires. However, as the time for implementation approaches, many people subject to mandatory measures are still completely "blind" to the information...

Authorities practice firefighting and rescue at Royal City Urban Area (Thanh Xuan District). Photo: Hong Thai

People "bewildered"

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Tien, who has lived for more than 15 years in Thanh Xuan Bac collective housing area (Thanh Xuan Bac ward, Thanh Xuan district), said that she has never heard of having to buy fire insurance for apartments and collective houses.

“In the face of the recent complicated housing fire incidents, we are very worried but have not been informed about this by the neighborhood association or ward. If the regulations require apartments and collective houses to be purchased, what we are concerned about is where to buy them and how our rights will be resolved if an accident occurs,” said Ms. Thuy Tien.

Similarly, Mr. Tran Van Thanh, living on the 5th floor of Vinaconex 7 building (Phu Dien ward, Bac Tu Liem district) was also surprised by this information.

Mr. Tran Van Thanh said: “Up to now, the Building Management Board has been deducting the monthly maintenance and service fund to buy general insurance for the entire apartment building. In addition, all general information is updated via Zalo but there has been absolutely no announcement about this new regulation. In the apartment building, we already have to pay many types of fees, there should not be additional fees that affect the lives of residents. Paying insurance should be voluntary instead of mandatory.”

Notably, not only residents, but also the Head of the CT3 Apartment Management Board in Trung Van Ward (Nam Tu Liem District) Le Quang Chau also affirmed: "We have not received any information about this content, although the issue of fire and explosion is always of special concern to the management board and residents."

As a household with many rented rooms, when asked about the mandatory purchase of fire insurance in the near future, Mr. Nguyen Van Dang on Nguyen Van Loc Street (Mo Lao Ward, Ha Dong District) expressed his opinion: “Although this is the first time hearing about this regulation, for a housing business household like my family, if it is mandatory to purchase fire insurance, I do not know which insurance company to buy from so that when an incident occurs, we will actually be compensated instead of avoiding it. The government and relevant agencies need to accompany us so that we know clearly in order to comply with the regulations.”

How to keep policy out of paper?

Decree No. 105/2025/ND-CP of the Government details a number of articles and measures to implement the Law on Fire Prevention, Fire Fighting, Rescue and Relief, which specifically stipulates 44 categories of establishments that must purchase compulsory fire and explosion insurance. The birth of Decree No. 105/2025/ND-CP stems from urgent practical requirements.

According to statistics from the Fire Prevention, Fire Fighting and Rescue Police Department ( Ministry of Public Security ), in 2024, there were 4,112 fires nationwide, killing 100 people and causing property damage estimated at nearly 658 billion VND. In the first 4 months of 2025 alone, there were 1,232 fires, killing 32 people and causing damage of more than 205 billion VND.

Compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, the number of fires and damages in the first quarter of this year has decreased. However, the risk of fire is still high in densely populated urban areas, especially in residential and commercial buildings - a type of property that often does not meet fire safety requirements. The new regulation is expected to raise awareness and responsibility of owners and residents, as well as provide additional financial resources to overcome the consequences of fires and explosions.

Buying insurance not only helps reduce the burden of damage after an accident but also creates a “self-protection” mechanism for each individual. However, no matter how correct the policy is, it will be difficult to put it into practice if the communication work cannot keep up.

Former National Assembly delegate Bui Thi An commented: “When people buy insurance themselves, they will be more concerned about the safety of the place where they live. Authorities need to quickly promote an information campaign, publicize and be transparent about the specific subjects of application, fees, purchase methods, providers, compensation procedures and responsibilities of related parties so that people can clearly understand.”

Sharing this view, Chairman of the Advisory Council for Democracy and Law (Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hanoi City) Pham Ngoc Thao emphasized: “Information and propaganda to help people understand the necessity and their rights to purchase compulsory fire and explosion insurance is extremely important. Local authorities need to proactively disseminate information through neighborhood meetings, information channels of wards, communes and building management boards. At the same time, it is necessary to provide information about reputable insurance companies and establish a strict monitoring mechanism to protect the legitimate rights of buyers”.

Mandatory purchase of fire and explosion insurance is a correct policy, but for the policy to truly become a "shield" to protect people, it is indispensable to have the drastic participation of relevant agencies, the transparency of insurance companies and, above all, the proactive research and implementation of the people themselves.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/bat-buoc-mua-bao-hiem-chay-no-tu-ngay-1-7-chinh-sach-can-nhung-dan-chua-biet-705288.html