BEIJING, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Beijing's municipal authorities further eased curbs on home purchases on Wednesday, lowering the threshold for home-buying qualifications, in the latest efforts to boost demand amid worsening home prices in the Chinese capital.
Non-local residents - those without a Beijing "hukou" - can now buy homes in the capital if they have made consecutive income tax payments in the city for at least one year, down from two years previously.
Families with more than one child will also
be allowed to buy an additional home in downtown Beijing, municipal housing authorities added in a statement.
Second-home buyers using loans from China's housing provident fund will now face a minimum down payment requirement of 25%, down from 30%.
New home prices in Beijing have been falling month-on-month in the past quarter, heaping pressure on local authorities to do more to shore up the market.
In August, Beijing scrapped home-purchase limits for qualified buyers in the city's suburban areas, but kept the curbs in place within the Fifth Ring Road, a major expressway around the central area.
Chinese officials this week pledged to step up efforts to stabilise the property market in 2026, and implement city-specific strategies to optimise supply and reduce inventories.
Concerns over the crisis-hit sector have deepened after state-backed China Vanke shocked the market last month by seeking a public bond extension for its 2 billion yuan ($285.12 million) note due on December 15 by a further year.
The builder is also seeking to delay repayments by a year for another onshore note due to mature on December 28.
(Reporting by Beijing NewsroomEditing by Alexander Smith and Gareth Jones)
