Housing provident fund isn’t just for buying a home: it can be used for renting, home renovations, and paying property taxes, effective from September 20, 2026 under new regulations

Cost: No cost at all. You only need to complete the withdrawal application once.
In plain terms: The housing provident fund isn’t limited to home purchases. The new regulations list nine eligible scenarios for withdrawals, including renting, renovating a personal residence, and paying property taxes. Once you submit an application, the housing provident fund authority must respond within three days whether your request is approved or not.
Benefit: The updated regulations expand eligible withdrawal scenarios to nine total. These include covering rental payments, funding home renovations, and paying property taxes for a residence you own. The housing provident fund authority must issue a decision on your application within three days of receiving it, either granting or denying the withdrawal request.
Evidence grade: A
Sources:国务院 (2026). 国务院关于修改《住房公积金管理条例》的决定（国务院令第 844 号，2026 年 7 月 31 日国务院第 93 次常务会议通过，「自2026年9月20日起施行」）：修改后第二十四条「职工有下列情形之一的，可以提取职工住房公积金账户内的存储余额：（一）支付房租的；（二）购买、建造、翻建、大修自住住房的；（三）偿还购房贷款本息的；（四）装修自住住房的；（五）支付自住住房物业费的；（六）离休、退休的；（七）完全丧失劳动能力，并与单位终止劳动关系的；（八）出境定居的；（九）国务院批准的其他住房消费情形。」；第二十五条「住房公积金管理中心应当自受理申请之日起3日内作出准予提取或者不准提取的决定」；第十八条缴存比例「均不得低于职工上一年度月平均工资的5％」. https://www.gov.cn/gongbao/2026/issue_12946/202608/content_7079363.html
Notes: The funds in your account consist of your own salary contributions plus matching contributions from your employer. If left untouched, these funds earn only a very low rate of interest. The regulations also specify that in cases of employee death or declared death, heirs and legal beneficiaries may withdraw the full account balance. Exact required documents and application procedures are determined locally by each regional housing provident fund authority, so be sure to check your local guidelines before applying.